Of course, Saturday's title decider against Hearts was all about the glory of being champion again. However, the victory also has huge positive ramifications when it comes to the Hoops' European campaign later this year.
As Premiership runners-up, Heart of Midlothian's Champions League campaign will commence as early as 21/22 July in the second qualifying round. They'll have to win three ties to get into the league phase, with Olympique Lyonnais, Sporting CP, Fenerbahçe, Bodø/Glimt, Olympiacos and Sturm Graz among those potentially in their way. In short, do not expect the Jambos to make it.
Celtic on the other hand do not have to worry about such opposition. Instead, the Hoops, as they did 12 months earlier, will enter the champions path play-off round. Thus, they are one two-legged tie against another domestic champion away from the lucrative and prestigious league phase.
Celtic's key Champions League dates
- Champions League play-off round draw: 3 August.
- Champions League play-off round ties: 18/19 August & 25/26 August.
- Champions League league phase draw: 27 August.
Of course, last August, this did not go to plan. After three and a half hours that produced zero goals, Brendan Rodgers' side were dumped out by Kairat on penalties; Adam Idah, Luke McCowan and Daizen Maeda all missing from 12 yards in Almaty, a whopping 3,500 miles from home.
So, who could the Scottish champions face this year? Well, a total of 42 domestic champions will be fighting for just five spots in the league phase throughout July and August. The vast majority stand next to no chance of doing so, merely dreaming of dropping into the Europa League or even Conference League. Nevertheless, a list of Celtic's potential opponents in the play-off round is starting to take shape.
Celtic's potential Champions League play-off opponents
Clubs entering in the play-off round
Clubs | League | Coefficient ranking points |
|---|---|---|
Celtic | Scottish Premiership | 44.000 |
Viking FK | Eliteserien | 8.247 |
AEK Athens | Super League Greece | 24.000 |
LASK | Austrian Bundesliga | 21.000 |
Clubs entering in the second qualifying round
Clubs | League | Coefficient ranking points |
|---|---|---|
Lech Poznań | Ekstraklasa | 27.500 |
AGF Aarhus | Danish Superligaen | 8.421 |
FC Thun | Swiss Super League | 0 |
Hapoel Be'er Sheva | Ligat HaAl | 14.000 |
Omonia | Cypriot First Division | 21.250 |
Mjällby AIF | Allsvenskan | 0 |
GNK Dinamo Zagreb | Prva HNL | 46.500 |
Crvena zvezda | Serbian SuperLiga | 46.500 |
ŠK Slovan Bratislava | Slovenská futbalová liga | 36.000 |
NK Celje | Slovenian PrvaLiga | 23.000 |
Selected clubs entering in the first qualifying round
Clubs | League | Coefficient ranking points |
|---|---|---|
Győri ETO | Nemzeti Bajnokság | 5.437 |
Levski Sofia | Parva Liga | 7.000 |
Sabah | Azeri Premyer Liqası | 6.000 |
Universitatea Craiova | Romanian SuperLiga | 10.500 |
Petrocub Hîncești | Divizia Națională | 9.000 |
Kairat | Kazakh Premier League | 11.000 |
Note: A total of 28 clubs will enter the Champions League in the first qualifying round.
Surprise title wins in Norway, Greece, Austria, Denmark, Switzerland, Hungary, Bulgaria and Azerbaijan have really helped Celtic's cause. That's because, the Hoops boast the third-highest coefficient of any champion involved in Champions League qualifying, which is important because it guarantees they will be seeded in the draw.
As a result, they will be unable to face Dinamo Zagreb, Crvena zvezda, Slovan Bratislava or Lech Poznań. There are though some potentially tricky opponents still on offer. AEK Athens knocked them out of Champions League qualifying in 2018, while LASK, who've just won the Austrian Bundesliga for the first time since 1965, are among a group of teams categorised as "won't be push-overs".
Meantime, many fans will surely fear a rematch with Kairat, albeit the Kazakh champions would have to come through three rounds to make this a possibility. Seeing who makes it through earlier rounds will be worth following in July, ahead of a huge European night at Parkhead in late-August.
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