The winners of The Cinch Premiership will gain automatic qualification to the Champions League meaning that Celtic are almost certain to be welcoming some of Europe’s finest to Paradise next season. Ange Postecoglou’s side are within touching distance of the league title and a win on Saturday against Hearts will all but win the league meaning qualification to Europe’s top table.
Whilst the riches of UEFA’s premier competition could net Celtic in the region of £40m, there is one advantage that is going under the radar. The impact that it will have on Celtic’s calendar. The League Cup holders will bypass the group stages meaning that they will start their season at the end of July.
Whilst the fixtures for the 2022/23 season are yet to be published, Celtic will kick off their season during the weekend of July 30/31, 2022. This means that this will be the first competitive action that Celtic undertakes will be later on with no European Qualifiers to weigh on the manager’s mind. Celtic had to be in a combat state to face Danish Champions FC Midtjylland on 20th July last year. Now, the manager will be able to have an extended period with his team ahead of the new season.
Dane Murray, Albian Ajeti, Ismaila Soro and Vasilis Barkas were all involved in the game with the latter three all expected to leave this summer. Given the strides that Celtic have made this season, you would expect Ange to improve with a full pre-season. It would also give players, like Callum McGregor, who have to go on International Duty in June, an extended break ahead of a return to action. The rebuild will continue and you’d expect a number of players signed in Neil Lennon’s last eighteen months to be shipped out with Ange continuing to build the team in his image.
Meanwhile, the Group stages for the Champions League mean that Celtic will be involved in six fixtures of the lucrative competition. Matchday 1: 6/7 September 2022, Matchday 2: 13/14 September 2022, Matchday 3: 4/5 October 2022, Matchday 4: 11/12 October 2022, Matchday 5: 25/26 October 2022 and Matchday 6: 1/2 November 2022. It will be great to see UCL music returning to Paradise, a competition befitting the support. The team will be looking to become more competitive in Europe.
It may be a case when Celtic kick ass,just as Hearts did in the first meeting in the league with Hearts they went right in and bashed the Celtic players all over the pitch,look Celtic will play there game hard but fair the Celtic..