Celtic handed fantastic UEFA Champions League boost | OneFootball

Celtic were left disappointed yesterday after the lottery of penalty kicks went against Brendan Rodgers’ side at Hampden. Aberdeen triumphed from the spot to end a 35 year wait for the Scottish Cup while Celtic reflected on a missed opportunity.

The reality is that it has been an excellent campaign and a Double is well deserved. Ultimately, Aberdeen found a way to win and a Celtic side without creative players like Reo Hatate and Jota looked devoid of that spark. In any case, preparations for next season will already be underway while the players, staff and supporters take a breath.

Less than 24 hours after the Cup Final defeat, Celtic were handed good news after results in Croatia went Celtic’s way. Rijeka pipped Dinamo Zagreb to the title which means that Brendan’s side will be seeded in the UEFA Champions League play-off in August. Rijeka edged Zagreb to the title, beating them on head to head despite finishing on the same points and with the same goal difference.

The games will be played on the 19/20 and 26/27 August 2025. However, this result means that Celtic will be at the seeded side of the draw which, in theory, should allow for a more favourable draw. Celtic will now miss ties against teams like Copenhagen, Red Star Belgrade & Bodo/Glimt. It should also be noted that there are no easy games at that stage in European competition and if Celtic are to return to the UCL proper for the fourth straight season then they will require to be in the best possible shape on the pitch.

Kieran Tierney will return to the club on a free agent upon completion of his Arsenal deal. However, the manager has stressed that there are 3/4 players required to come in to improve the side in the summer.