Celtic in the UEFA Champions League 2024-25

Celtic visited Rugby Park and steam-rolled Kilmarnock FC 5-0 last night. This confirmed Celtic as Scottish Champions and seals Celtic's spot in the 2024-25 Champions League group stage.

Next season's Champions League group stage will see massive format changes. Under the new format, teams will play eight matches in the new league phase (former group stage). They will no longer play three opponents twice – home and away – but will instead face fixtures against eight different teams, playing half of those matches at home and half of them away. To determine the eight different opponents, the teams will initially be ranked in four seeding pots. Each team will then be drawn to play two opponents from each of these pots, playing one match against a team from each pot at home, and one away.

Another novelty that Celtic fans will notice is that we have Champions League games in January, with the final two group stage fixtures coming in the 21st or 22nd & the 29th of January. European football after Christmas, but not as we know it!

Another significant change is that there will be no parachute into the Europa League - Celtic will only play in the Champions League next term.

The draw date for the group stage is 29 August 2024.


CELTIC'S LIFE IN THE NEW CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FORMAT

Teams that finish in the top 8 of the league phase will go directly into the last 16.

The clubs that finish 9th-24th will enter a play-off round to qualify for the last 16.

The 12 clubs that finish 25th and below are eliminated from European competition.

From a Celtic perspective, realistically our goal will be to finish 24th, barring a miraculous improvement of transfer/spending policy this summer. In essence this will be a "best of the rest" battle between 13 clubs slugging it out at the bottom of the table. With that many challengers for the 24th spot, things like GD will surely play a factor.

 

Yasss been waiting for a thread like this! Seen somewhere on twitter that we’ll be in pot 3, no sure if correct?

 

I can't see it? However with the extra teams in it may push us up since we're normally high in pot 4. Although... do pots really matter anymore? Your playing 2 from each pot anyway, so what difference does it make at all?

 

No idea, this new format makes no sense to me at all, but we’re pot 3 going by what I’ve seen.

 

Just had a look again Honda, it is because of the extra teams which pushes us up to pot 3.

 

Nice. However I don't think it really matters anymore? If your pot 1, your still playing 2 of the pot 1 teams etc. So there's not really any advantage for being pot 1 etc anymore. Well as far as I can see.

 

Again mate haven’t a * clue how this new format works, but surely better to be pot 3 than pot 4, who knows

 

Agreed. Pots no longer appear to hold any advantage/disadvantage.

 

Kinda sad we won't be able to get our hopes up about run in the Europa League...

 

Might be a while before we even play a knockout game again depending how we stack up in the CL, let alone win one. * it though- still rather play CL than EL.

 

* sake, we'll probably end up waiting another 20 years for a knockout win!

 

There was talk that UEFA have been thinking about ditching this new format so you never know what the future holds

 

Buzzing for this new format.

 

it's just based on who they think will qualify. So for example if the Huns do they will go above us. As people have pointed out though there is no advantage being in a certain pot so it matters not.

 

If that's the way it works out then give us.
Liverpool and dortmund from pot 1
Brugge and donetsk from pot 2
Zagreb and bodo from pot 3, need to humble those Norwegians.
Sparta and athens from pot 4, revenge please celtic

 

Ffs we might even qaulify if we got that nae chance would we get that lucky.

 

I’m assuming you’re mixing up Bodo as Norwegian !!!

 

Right let us win this 3 times in a row