It is the article we didn't want to write, and you didn't want to read. Following Celtic's historic collapse at Raiffeisen Arena on Tuesday night, 4-0 up on aggregate against LASK with just an hour to go, but still beaten, another Europa League campaign beckons for the Hoops.
To say there will be a lack of enthusiasm for Europe's second tier tournament in Glasgow's East End would be something of an understatement. Nevertheless, here is everything you need to know ahead of the draw.
When is the Europa League league phase draw?
The UEFA Europa League draw takes place on Friday 28 August. It is scheduled to start at noon UK time which is 7am on the east coast of the United States.
How can I watch the Europa League draw?
The draw will be live on TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max in the United Kingdom as well as on CBS Sports and Paramount+ in the United States.
What pot are Celtic in for the Europa League draw?
Celtic are currently 58th in the five-year UEFA Club Coefficient Ranking. This means they are guaranteed to be in pot 2 for Friday's draw. However, unlike under the previous group stage format, there is not tangible advantage to being in a higher pot.
Who has qualified for the Europa League league phase?
36 teams compete in the Europa League league phase. 13 qualify automatically, while 11 drop down from Champions League qualifying, including Celtic, and they are joined by the 12 outfits who prevailed in the play-off round on Thursday. They are divided into four pots based on their Coefficient Ranking, as documented below:
Pot 1
- Bayer Leverkusen
- Benfica
- Juventus
- A.C. Milan
- Olympique Lyonnais
- AZ Alkmaar
- Olympiacos
- Real Sociedad
- Olympique de Marseille
Pot 2
- Ferencváros
- Viktoria Plzeň
- Royale Union Saint-Gilloise
- GNK Dinamo Zagreb
- RB Salzburg
- Celtic
- Sparta Prague
- Stade Rennais
- Anderlecht
Pot 3
- Sturm Graz
- Lech Poznań
- Crystal Palace
- AFC Bournemouth
- Sunderland
- NK Celje
- Jagiellonia Białystok
- Omonia
- Celta de Vigo
Pot 4
- Hoffenheim
- Beşiktaş
- Torreense
- Hapoel Be'er Sheva
- NEC Nijmegen
- OFI Crete
- Lillestrøm
- Levski Sofia
- Ararat-Armenia
Who can Celtic not face in the Europa League?
As there are no other Scottish clubs involved in the draw, all 35 other clubs are potential opponents for Celtic. This includes European heavyweights from Italy, namely A.C. Milan and Juventus. The Premier League's three representatives Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Sunderland are not who most would expect; many Celts will be hoping for a trip to the Stadium of Light.
The other team to highlight are Torreense, considering they play in Portugal's second-tier. Luís Tralhão's side qualified against all odds by beating Sporting in last May's Taça de Portugal Final, but are probably the pot 4 team everyone else would like to face.
How does the Europa League league phase draw work?
Celtic will play eight matches against eight different opponents, four at Parkhead and four on the European road. They will face two teams from each pot, one in Glasgow and one away.
The only the draw condition is that the Hoops can only play a maximum of two opponents from any other country. So, as an example, if they land Olympique Lyonnais and Olympique de Marseille from pot 1, that would eliminate the possibility of Stade Rennais from pot 2.
Europa League 2026/27 league phase dates
- League phase draw: Friday 28 August - noon (BST) start.
- Matchday 1: Wednesday 16 & Thursday 17 September.
- Matchday 2: Thursday 15 October.
- Matchday 3: Thursday 22 October.
- Matchday 4: Thursday 5 November.
- Matchday 5: Thursday 26 November.
- Matchday 6: Thursday 10 December.
- Matchday 7: Thursday 21 January.
- Matchday 8: Thursday 28 January.
Add us as a preferred source on Google