Celtic might have lost their recent game against Aston Villa but they were still good enough to finish 21st in the first phase of the Champions League, booking their place in the knockout phase of the competition for the first time since 2013. It was not all good news for the Hoops coming out of the match though.
Firstly, Celtic have been handed a tough knockout round tie. They will be taking on Bayern Munich. It does not get much more difficult than that.
That task could be made even tougher for the Scottish champions. It looks like they could be without away fans when they visit Germany to take on Bayern Munich in the away game of the tie.
A statement made on the club's official website goes on to read:
"As a result of the use of pyrotechnics during our match against Borussia Dortmund last year, Celtic Football Club was sanctioned by the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body.
The decision meant that, not only did the Club receive a fine of €20,000, but also that, if such behaviour was repeated at a match in the next two years, the Club would be prevented from selling tickets to supporters for one away match in UEFA club competitions.
Unfortunately, the club has received a further disciplinary notice from UEFA following the match against Aston Villa FC on Wednesday evening. "
Celtic worrying announcement about Bayern Munich game
That is the last thing that Celtic needed ahead of such a difficult and important contest. It remainst to be seen how things play out but it is clear that the Hoops will do their best to make sure that fans are present for the game. The statement further reads:
"The Club will obviously make robust representations to UEFA and will make every effort to ensure that our fans can attend our next UEFA Champions League match. However, clearly there is a risk that supporters may not be able to attend. "
Celtic do not have a great recent record when it comes to visiting Germany. Their most recent trip took place this season and unfortunately, it was the worst result imaginable for the Hoops as they lost 7-1 to Borussia Dortmund away at Signal Iduna Park.
It would be a massive understatement to say that nobody wants to see a repeat of that performance or result. But unfortunately, that might not be out of the realm of possibility, especially if no away fans are present against Bayern Munich away in Bavaria.
Let's just hope that that does not end up being the case and fans are present. But if they are not, Celtic will need to find a way.