With the SPFL title secured for the fourth year running Celtic’s focus switches to next season’s Champions League qualifiers.
Ronny Deila’s side face three qualifying rounds to reach the group stage and will be seeded in each round- should they progress.
As ever the qualifying process is heavily seeded with Celtic starting off at the second qualifying round due to Scotland’s co-efficient but having their own ranking apply in each round.
Scotland’s place in the European hierarchy means that Deila’s side will be in the Champions Route avoiding teams from the leading nations such as England, Spain, Italy and Germany.
The second qualifying round will be played over July 14/15 and July 21/22 with the final qualifying round on August 18/19 and August 25/26.
As things stand that could see an ’emotional’ reunion with Legia Warsaw who will hopefully have learned to register suspended players and apply the other UEFA rules to avoid further dramas.
Legia were Celtic’s third round opponents this season but have moved up to rankings to be unseeded in the fourth qualifying round- provided they overcome Lech Poznan in the play-off system that the Polish FA have to determine their Champions League entrants.
Should the seeded clubs all work their way through the qualifying rounds Celtic will face a play off against Apoel (Cyprus), Bate Borisov (Belarus), Ludogorets Razgrad (Bulgaria), Legia Warsaw/Lech Poznan (Poland) or Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia).
The second and third qualifying rounds are almost certain to be regionalised with Celtic set to open up in July against the champions of Ireland, Wales, Northern Ireland or Iceland which could see Dundalk or the hoops of New Saints from Wales turn up in Glasgow.
In the third round the Scandinavian champions come into play with Malmo, HJK Helsinki, Molde, Midtjylland (Denmark) and last season’s opponents Maribor among potential opponents.
The second qualifying round draw will take place on June 22 as Deila attempts to plot his way to a £25m jackpot while dealing with the transfer window.
CLICK HERE to follow the qualification route on Bert’s site
