AEK Athens have been drawn in Group E in this season’s Champions League against Bayern Munich, Benfica and Ajax.
Last season the German Champions were very fortunate to win 2-1 at Celtic Park, although they won comfortably at home, by 3-0.
Benfica and Celtic have fought many European battles on the park and have great respect for each other off it. Both sides have had notable successes over each other and Celtic could have expected to hold our own over the two matches against the Lisbon side.
Ajax really are old foes – on and off the park – and again Celtic would have expected to be competitive against the Dutch. We won’t miss their fans right enough.
So three great trips to Munich, Lisbon and Amsterdam have all been missed out on and the chance to play in a group that we at least would have had a chance of coming through has been lost.
Instead we are playing FK Suduva to get into the Europa League.
And having watched AEK Athens over the two dreadful games against the Hungarian side Vidi, it would be a fair bet to suggest that the Greeks will struggle to take any points in this company.
But at least they are there. What an opportunity Celtic have missed. A shambles of a summer.
