Celtic will have a real shot at having a qualifying berth into the Champions League next season as long as Scotland maintains its coefficient standing.
After falling out of the Europa League in a flaming fashion against FC Copenhagen on Thursday, the Hoops have set their sights towards the future. The domestic league, as well as the Scottish Cup seem all but locked in, especially after Rangers lost to Hearts on Saturday in the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup.
But while domestic play is all well and good, Celtic is a club with a rich history, and reputation. Many fans say that the only thing that matters is domestic play, but then fall back on the Lisbon Lions of 1967 when talking about why the Hoops are one of the world’s historically great clubs. You can’t have it both ways.
No matter how you look at it, European competition is important. It is the only time when the club can truly go up against some of the giants and see where they stand. That’s why the loss to FC Copenhagen hurts so much.
So, what do the Hoops need to do to get back to the Champions League Group Stage and then succeed? That’s an easy question to answer: buy experienced players. Those such as Patryk Klimala and Ismaila Soro or Marian Shved won’t cut it. Hell, they didn’t even feature in Europe.
With all the profits the club makes from selling players, some of that needs to be reinvested into players that have real, tangible experience and accolades that can help propel this team forward. Say what you want, but Europe is important. Not only does it bring in a ton of cash, but it helps continue to stoke the fire that Celtic is a legitimate club on the global stage. Not just some club content with winning its domestic crown every year.