Celtic 2023/24 dates confirmed: Winter break, Champions League and potential cup finals

By John McGinley

March 14, 2023

There’s still a lot of Celtic football to be played this season, and two more trophies to win, but the calendar is already shaping up for the 2023/24 campaign, as confirmed by the SPFL’s official key dates page which has been recently updated.

If Celtic make it past Rangers in the upcoming Scottish Cup semi-final, we already know that the final will take place at Hampden on June 3rd. And if that is the case, we won’t be waiting too long at all before the Bhoys are back in action for the new season.

Ange Postecoglou’s side are currently on course to win the league, meaning there would be no UEFA Champions League qualification games to worry about. Celtic’s first competitive game of next season is due to take place on August 5th, just two months after the cup final. That’s the weekend the first matches of the SPFL season will take place.

2023/24 dates relevant to Celtic

As usual, the Champions League group stages are set to kick off in September, with matchday one coming on the 19th and 20th of September. The six-game UEFA gauntlet ends on December 12th or 13th with the normal schedule returning after this season’s odd World Cup break. If Celtic do not go on to win the league this season, qualifying begins on at the third round stage on August 8th or 9th.

There are still pesky international breaks throughout next season, of course. Countries are set to play in September, October and November, with another in March 2024. Remember, there’s also the Asian Cup which takes place between January 12th and February 10th, which a number of Celtic players are likely to be attending.

Celtic’s losses to the Asian Cup will be somewhat mitigated by the Scottish Premiership winter break which has been scheduled in by the SPFL between the 3rd and 19th of January 2024.

It would be a grand effort for Celtic to make it through to more cup finals next season but it’s worth noting that the Scottish League Cup final is set to take place on December 17th, back in its traditional slot. The knockout stages of the tournament kicks off in mid-August, on the 19th.

Next season’s Scottish Cup final is not yet listed on the page but it will likely fall on the weekend of 25th May 2024, a week after the Premiership season ends on 18th May. Celtic’s first match in competition is likely to be directly after the winter break.

So, there are your initial dates to slot into your calendars if you’re planning ahead! A full list of next season’s schedule can be found on the SPFL’s key dates page.

In other news, Scott Brown names the 5 best Celtic stars he played with; who he’s still close with.