Celtic have announced the first of their continental pre-season matches with a visit to Banik Ostrava on Wednesday July 13.
That fixture comes at the end of a 10 day training camp in Austria with yet to be confirmed opponents.
With home matches against Blackburn Rovers on July 16 and Norwich City on July 23 the warm up matches are being slotted in with the SPFL Premiership campaign starting on the weekend of July 30 and 31.
??? As part of our pre-season training camp this Summer, #CelticFC will visit the Czech Republic to meet Czech first division side @fcbanikostrava, after being invited to celebrate the club’s centenary year, in a specially-arranged anniversary match on Wednesday, July 13.
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) May 6, 2022
Should Celtic go on to win the SPFL title they will be spared the annual Champions League qualification process which has become increasingly troublesome in recent years.
AEK Athens, Cluj, Ferencvaros and Midtjylland have knocked the hoops off course with the season barely underway over the last four seasons.
Austria has been a favoured pre-season location going back as far as 2002, providing top class training facilities alongside low key friendlies allowing serious preparations to be undertaken without the spotlight of money –spinning friendlies.