Brendan Rodgers has no qualms about the qualifying process for the Champions League.
While Leicester, Arsenal and Tottenham prepare for the group phase Celtic face three qualifying rounds to join the English sides in the big time.
The concept of a ‘champions’ league has long been replaced by a bloated competition designed to suit television companies and advertisers with the league winners from Scotland and other similar sized nations far from essential.
Gibraltar’s Victoria Station is a far cry from the Nou Camp or San Siro but the new hoops boss maintains an upbeat approach to the qualifying schedule that will go a long way to shaping his season.
“I suppose it’s what you have to do,” he responded when asked about the qualification obstacle course. “At Liverpool we still had a couple of games to qualify for the Europa League, so it’s what has to be done.
“You would like to think as champions of Scotland you would go in to the group stages but by whatever means we have to do it, that’s what we’re aiming to do. We all want to be at that level as players and coaches, so we are focused at getting through these qualifiers.
“It’s a challenge because of the timing, but we have done everything we can to be in the best possible shape we can be.”
In the first qualifying round Lincoln Red Imps beat Estonian champions Flora with the visit of Celtic in competitive action the biggest fixture hosted on the British territory.
