Unseeded possibility hangs over Celtic for UCL Playoff

The Celtic Star

·13 de maio de 2025

Unseeded possibility hangs over Celtic for UCL Playoff

Celtic still face the possibility of being unseeded in their two-legged playoff tie to secure a spot in next season’s Champions League…

Nicolas Kuhn of Celtic celebrates scoring to tie the game 1-1. Celtic v Hibernian, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, – 10 May 2025 Photo Stuart Wallace Shutterstock

However, with several domestic league winners yet to be confirmed, there is still a chance that Celtic might receive a potentially more favourable path to Europe’s elite club competition.

Vídeos OneFootball

Ten clubs will take part in the Champions Path, with Celtic, Europa League semi-finalists Bodo/Glimt, and Swiss champions Basel already securing their spots by clinching their domestic titles.

Yet, with a UEFA coefficient of 38.000 and various teams ranked closely around them; Celtic aren’t assured of a seeded position.

Currently, Dinamo Zagreb [56.000], FC Copenhagen [44.875], and Ferencváros [39.000] could all win their domestic leagues, while Red Star Belgrade [44.000] have already secured the Serbian title.

Each of those four sides – along with Bodo/Glimt (49.000) – sit above Celtic in the UEFA club rankings, placing them in the seeded pot, although they’ll join the qualifiers at different stages.

Reo Hatate of Celtic celebrates after he scores his team’s third goal during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic FC and Hibernian FC at Celtic Park on May 10, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Importantly, Celtic could still guarantee a seeded place if an underdog manages to snatch the league title in either Croatia, Denmark, or Hungary.

In Croatia, Dinamo Zagreb sits just one point behind current leaders HNK Rijeka (9.000) with two matches remaining. While in Denmark, Copenhagen holds a narrow one-point lead ahead of their second-last fixture, and in Hungary, Ferencváros lead by three with two games still to play.

Celtic need just one of the expected champions to slip into second place to secure a seeded position before the qualifying rounds begin. There are still many uncertainties, but one thing that is definite is the scheduled date for the decisive playoff that offers a £40 million Champions League prize.

UEFA Champions League branded microphones are seen on a desk prior to the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off second leg match between FC Bayern München and Celtic FC at on February 18, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

UEFA has announced that the draw will take place on Monday 4 August, with the two-legged playoff scheduled for 19/20 August and 26/27 August, 2025. If the Hoops progress from the playoff round, the draw for the group stage will be held on 28 August.

Should Celtic stumble at the final hurdle, Brendan Rodgers’ side have the safety net of securing Europa League group stage football.

As per Football Rankings, the projected Champions League playoff Champions Path looks like:

SEEDED: Dinamo Zagreb (56.000), Bodo/Glimt (49.000), FC Copenhagen (44.875), Red Star Belgrade (44.000) and Ferencváros (39.000).

UNSEEDED: Celtic (38.000), Basel (33.000), Sturm Graz (23.000), FCSB (22.500) and Lech Poznan (16.000).

This will be a fixture to keep an eye on next weekend 🇭🇷⚽️ Celtic need one of the current ‘projected’ sides in the seeded section of the UCL play-off to drop out for us to take their place & our best bet for that is Dinamo Zagreb. The title is in Rijeka’s hands but they face
– domingo, 11 de maio de 2025

Conor Spence

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