Celtic are set for a series of high stakes showdowns as news of the Champions League qualifying pathway was revealed by UEFA and reported by The Daily Record.
The good news for Neil Lennon’s men is that, rather than being the first competitive fixtures of their season, the qualifying games will take place after the latter stages of the 2019/20 UEFA competitions have recommenced in August and the Hoops have an initial date of 18/19 August pencilled in to start their campaign.
In what could both hinder or benefit Celtic is that the preliminary rounds will be played over just one tie with only the final play-off round being a two-legged affair, the venue for each round will be decided by a draw, however, with most European countries still playing football behind closed doors, there will be little impact other than the nuisance of having to travel if an away fixture is on the cards.
The Hoops gaffer will be delighted at not facing the same level of early season fixture congestion, however, the “do or die” nature of the early rounds necessitate his side firing on all cylinders early doors to avoid a premature exit.
Despite the obvious historical importance of the domestic season in 2020/21, returning to the continent’s biggest stage will be of upmost importance because of the obvious economic benefits it brings, the last two seasons have brought big name departures which could have been averted if Champions League qualification had been secured.
The added benefit of qualification to European football’s premier competition would be that potential targets could be swayed by the opportunity to mix with some of the finest players on the continent, and in the process returning the Parkhead side back to the level that they truly belong.