It appears that Celtic are paying the price for Linfield’s inability to host a Champions League qualifier during the height of the anti-Catholic Orange ‘celebrations’.
When the first round draw was made for last season’s Champions League qualifiers the northern Irish champions were unable to host the home leg on July 11 or 12 due to security issues.
Switching the match to a different venue or staging the game in the afternoon was ruled out with Celtic forced to play on Friday July 14.
Over the last few seasons UEFA have produced mini-groups for the first qualifying round based on geographical grounds with Celtic twice being drawn against northern Irish opponents and twice facing Icelandic teams as well as a trip to Gibraltar.
That practice is in place again this year with northern Irish champions Crusaders grouped alongside the champions of Ireland, Iceland, the Faroes and a qualifier from the preliminary round.
Those clubs will be spared any real travel difficulties with opponents coming from Finland, Norway, Sweden, Poland or Bulgaria.
In contrast Celtic have been grouped alongside the champions of Kazakhstan, Serbia, Israel, Bosnia and Albania.
Celtic’s opponents will come from Spartak Trnava (Slovakia), Valetta (Malta), Alashkert (Armenia), Sutjeska (Montenegro), Spartaks Jurmala (Latvia) or Flora Tallin (Estonia).
Rather than preparing for a short flight to Ireland or Iceland the Scottish champions will be travelling into the heart of Europe while the northern Irish champions could be looking at a trip to Scandinavia.
The draw for the first two qualifying rounds will take place on Tuesday June 19.