Former Celtic striker and TV pundit Chris Sutton has laughed off the idea that the Hoops shouldn’t play four qualifiers.
One of the major frustrations when it comes to European football is the fact that Celtic need to progress past FOUR teams just to reach the Champions League group stages. However, despite the complaints, we frequently fail to do it.
Celtic have now fallen four times in the last six years during their Champions League qualifying campaigns. Only Brendan Rodgers has managed to negotiate four qualifiers as Celtic boss.
But Sutton simply isn’t having the complaints. Speaking in the Daily Record, the big man had this to say on it:
“Celtic have moaned about having to play four qualifying rounds. Are you joking? They haven’t got past the third hurdle two years in-a-row and lost to teams from Greece and Romania.
“They are in the Europa League now, which is fair enough because they’ve been acting like a Europa League club.
“If the team loses four goals at home then questions have to be asked.”
Big Chris doesn’t get the point here
When it comes to Champions League qualifying, there’s no denying we’ve underperformed massively over the last two years.
But Sutton is clearly missing the point here. Celtic fans haven’t complained about qualifying for the Champions League. Sure, there are a few who go on about the name of the competition being a tad deceiving. But the main gripe is having to play four qualifiers as Sutton says.
And Sutton also hits it on the head. We haven’t gotten past the THIRD hurdle in two years. But what we have done is romp past the second qualifying round in all of our last four qualification campaigns. We haven’t fallen at the second hurdle. And that’s where fans get frustrated.
Having to face the likes of Sarajevo and Nomme Kalju is a bit of an insult. Celtic swept both teams aside with ease, and it makes no sense that they have to play these kinds of sides before facing a real foe like CFR Cluj.
If Celtic came into the Champions League qualifiers in the third qualifying round, nobody would be complaining. After all, we’re not good enough to go right into the group stage, and don’t deserve to either.
But the fact still stands that Celtic shouldn’t be entering the competition at the first qualifying round. It makes no sense, and had Scott Bain not fumbled straight to Billel Omrani on Tuesday night, Sutton would be saying the same.
We let ourselves down badly this week, but it doesn’t change the fact we’re far too good for the opening two qualifying rounds.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
