Celtic in line for Champions League boost

Celtic look certain to be seeded all through next season’s Champions League qualifiers- assuming that the hoops clinch their eighth successive title.

With a 10 point advantage going into next Sunday’s derby match the hoops are closing in on the title that opens up the prospect of a £40m windfall from a place in the group stage of the Champions League.

Despite on going talks to reform the Champions League next season’s competition will be on the same line’s as this season with four qualifying rounds providing four teams from the Champions Route into the group stage.

There are currently seven teams with a higher co-efficient than Celtic but they won’t all be in the final Play Off round- the stage that Celtic will be looking to reach after being KO’d by AEK Athens last season.

Moravcik 67 is the man to follow for these sort of matters with a recent posting on Kerrydale Street giving a complete breakdown on what lies ahead.

Clubs with a higher co-efficient than Celtic:

• Ajax/PSV
  – Salzburg
  – Basel
  – Olympiakos
  – Sparta Prague/Plzen

  Obviously, only 1 team per country can play in the champions qualifying route.

  – Salzburg will probably not have to qualify, but will instead get an automatic group spot.
  – Basel are 21pts behind Young Boys in Switzerland.
  – Olympiakos are 10 behind PAOK in Greece, with only 6 games to play.
  – Plzen and Sparta Prague are 9 and 14 points behind Slavia Prague respectively in the Czech League.

The draw for the first round takes place on June 18 with the first leg played on July 9/10.