Dramatic conclusion to Croatian league suits Celtic perfectly

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The Celtic Star

·26 maggio 2025

Dramatic conclusion to Croatian league suits Celtic perfectly

A dramatic conclusion to the Croatian league on Sunday evening saw Rijeka crowned champions, a result that clarified Celtic’s route to the Champions League group stage by guaranteeing them a seeded spot in the play-off round in August…

HNK Rijeka feiert den Gewinn der kroatischen Meisterschaft Rijeka, Croatia, 25.05.25. Rujevica Stadium. Presentation of trophies and medals to Rijeka, the new Croatian football champion. In the photo: fan celebration Photo: Damir Skomrlj

Consequently, Brendan Rodgers’ side can now look forward to a potentially easier matchup in their quest to rejoin Europe’s top-tier tournament for a fourth consecutive season.

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Rijeka clinched the Croatian title in dramatic fashion with a final-day win against Slaven Belupo, drawing level on both points and goal difference with perennial champions Dinamo Zagreb.

But under Croatia’s unusual tie-breaking system – which prioritises head-to-head results over goal difference after round 35 – Rijeka claimed the title, bolstered by a dominant 4-0 victory against Celtic’s Champions League opponents in February.

Rijeka’s title win has major implications for Celtic, as Dinamo’s runners-up finish means the Scottish champions will now enter the play-off round as a seeded team – an advantage that seemed unlikely weeks ago, with eight higher-ranked clubs threatening the Hoops’ position based on UEFA coefficients.

Prior to last weekend, Celtic had already benefited from the title slip-ups of Shakhtar Donetsk, and RB Salzburg from the group of eight higher-ranked clubs. With Bodo/Glimt already confirmed in the seeded section of the draw, Celtic still required one of Red Star Belgrade, Dinamo Zagreb, FC Copenhagen, or Ferencvaros to miss out on their respective league titles. Rijeka’s victory has now ensured exactly that, confirming Celtic’s seeded status.

The pool of teams Celtic can now face in the decisive Champions League two-legged play-off is now limited to those that will fall on the unseeded side of the bracket.

Among the teams already confirmed for the play-off round are Swiss champions FC Basel and Austrian side Sturm Graz who won the league title on goal difference.

Romanian giants FCSB, Polish title-winners Lech Poznan, familiar opponents Slovan Bratislava, and Rijeka – the very team whose triumph has secured Celtic’s seeded position in the qualifiers – are all contenders for the remaining three unseeded places in the draw.

Several other clubs with lower UEFA coefficients, such as Malmo, Ludogorets, and Olimpija Ljubljana, will also be aiming to make a deep run in the qualifiers.

Trophy Day at Celtic Park. 17 May 2025. Photo: Vagelis Georgariou

The complete lineup of the five unseeded teams Celtic will face in the draw won’t be finalised until later this summer, once the early qualifying rounds have been played.

Although every possible opponent presents a challenge, the seeding theoretically provides Celtic with a smoother path to the lucrative Champions League group phase. The draw for the Champions League play-off round will take place on 4 August , while the first leg and second leg ties will be competed on 18/19 and 25/26 August.

Conor Spence