Celtic Champions League seeding confirmed after Swiss results

By John McGinley

July 26, 2020

Celtic will be a seeded team throughout Champions League qualifying, all the way to the playoff round should we make it there, it was confirmed today.

There had still been a small chance that the Scottish champions would enter the final qualifying stage as an unseeded team following successful progression through the first, second and third rounds.

That would have been the case had Basel triumphed in the Swiss league, made it through to the playoff round themselves and one of Lyon, Napoli or Chelsea won the Champions League.

However, Basel can no longer win the Swiss top-flight, ruling out any possibility of Neil Lennon’s Bhoys not being a fancied side.

The Swiss outfit drew against Lugano today, with league leaders Young Boys winning against Luzern, meaning the gap between the teams is now ten points with just two games remaining.

St Gallen can also win the title but like Young Boys they don’t challenge our seeded status in the playoffs.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin / (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)

Celtic’s draw date for the first qualifying round is on 9th August, with the match itself due to take place on the 18th or 19th.

Like the next two rounds, this will be a one-legged tie played home or away.

That determination will be made by the luck of the draw and has nothing to do with Celtic’s seeded status.

The final playoff to make it into the group stages will be played across two legs.

In other news, Celtic fans are excited about Mohamed Elyounoussi after his Sunday display.