Champions League Revamp: What's in Store for Celtic?
Celtic face a new era in the Champions League as the competition undergoes its most significant overhaul since 1992. With a dramatic increase in matches and a revamped format, the stakes are higher than ever for the Scottish giants.
The traditional group stage is gone, replaced by a "league phase" featuring 36 teams vying for glory in a single table. This change brings more games, more opponents, and ultimately, more riches.
The draw for this new format takes place in Monaco on Thursday at 17:00 BST, and will be broadcast live on the BBC Sport website. Here's a breakdown of what lies ahead for Celtic:
The New League Phase
Instead of eight groups of four, the Champions League now features a single table with 36 clubs. Celtic, alongside other contenders, will face eight different opponents, playing four matches at home and four away.
To determine fixtures, teams are divided into four seeding pots based on their UEFA coefficient rankings. Each team will play two opponents from each pot, one at home and one away.
Celtic's Seeding and Potential Opponents
While the final seeding pots are yet to be confirmed, Celtic are currently projected to be placed in Pot 3. This means they could potentially face formidable opponents from Pot 1, including Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich.
Here's a possible breakdown of the pots:
Pot 1: Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, PSG, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Barcelona
Pot 2: Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid, Atalanta, Juventus, Benfica, Arsenal, Club Bruges, Shakhtar Donetsk, AC Milan
Pot 3: Feyenoord, Sporting Lisbon, PSV Eindhoven, Celtic, Slavia Prague or Lille, Dinamo Zagreb or Qarabag, FC Salzburg, Red Star Belgrade or Bodo/Glimt, Young Boys
Pot 4: Slovan Bratislava or FC Midtjylland, AS Monaco, Sparta Prague, Aston Villa, Bologna, Girona, Stuttgart, Sturm Graz, Brest
A Computerised Draw
The draw will utilise a computerised system to allocate fixtures, a departure from the traditional ball-based method. The software, borrowed from chess tournaments, is a practical solution given the complex nature of the draw, requiring over 900 balls for manual allocation.
One team from Pot 1 will be drawn manually for ceremonial purposes, with the computer taking over thereafter.
Match Schedule
The league phase spans from September 2024 to January 2025, with matches taking place predominantly on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. However, the opening round of matches will also feature games on Thursday.
Here's the full matchday schedule:
Matchday 1: 17â19 September
Matchday 2: 1/2 October
Matchday 3: 22/23 October
Matchday 4: 5/6 November
Matchday 5: 26/27 November
Matchday 6: 10/11 December
Matchday 7: 21/22 January
Matchday 8: 29 January
Knockout Stages
The top eight teams in the league phase automatically qualify for the last 16. Teams ranked 9th to 24th compete in a two-legged knockout play-off for a chance to advance. Those finishing 25th or lower, along with the play-off losers, are eliminated. There is no option to drop into the Europa League.
From the last 16 onwards, the format reverts to the familiar two-legged knockout rounds, culminating in the final at the Allianz Arena, Munich, on 31 May 2025.
Squad Rules
Clubs must submit two player lists: 'List A' and 'List B'. 'List A' has a limit of 25 players, with eight reserved for "locally trained players". 'List B' allows an unlimited number of players born after 1 January 2003.
Celtic's Recent Record
Celtic face a challenging task. They haven't progressed beyond the group stage in the past two seasons, finishing bottom of their group with just one victory. Their last Champions League home win came in December 2022 against Feyenoord, ending a 10-year drought.
How to Follow the Champions League on the BBC
The BBC offers extensive coverage of the Champions League, including match-by-match highlights on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app. There will also be live text commentary of all games involving British sides on the BBC Sport website.
