The Celtic win over Feyenoord not only represented the end of this season’s UEFA Champions League group stage but the end of a European era for the Bhoys.
Celtic first competed in the four-team group format in 2001 and there have been highs as well as lows along the way.
From beating Juventus 4-3 under Martin O’Neill, to the last 16 qualifications under Gordon Strachan and the stunning Neil Lennon-managed win over Barcelona in 2012, for many years Celtic held their own as competitors in the tournament.
As we know, the last decade has been less successful but Brendan Rodgers’ Bhoys at least showed their desire to pick up a much-needed win for supporters on Wednesday night.
Now, Celtic are set to embark on a bold new phase of Champions League action with massive changes to the format coming next season.
New look Champions League will be a significant challenge for Celtic
From 2024/25, there will be 36 teams competing in the Champions League and more danger than ever before.
If Celtic qualify, with the Scottish Premiership champions this season guaranteed a berth, they will play eight matches in total against eight different teams. Four of the games will be played at Celtic Park with the rest away from home.
The draw will be seeded, so Celtic would play two teams each from pots one, two, three and four.
There are no longer distinct, separate groups. Instead, there will be a giant table made up of the 36 teams with cut-off points to determine who qualifies for knockout football after all the matches.
The top eight teams will qualify automatically for the last 16, with those ranked 9th to 24th competing in a two-legged playoff to book a place.
Teams finishing 25th to 36th will be knocked out and there is no longer a parachute into the Europa League.
The calendar changes, too, with group stage matches running until January of each season.
The new format will have a distinctly fresh feel to it but it remains to be seen whether it will be successful and welcomed by clubs, players and supporters.
Issues include an expanding workload, more television subscription packages and more expensive tickets.
Similar formats are being introduced to the Europa League and Conference League, too, so UEFA are going all in, promising increased revenue and a more competitive European landscape.
What it means for Celtic will be exciting to uncover – but the Bhoys have a lot of work to do to improve the squad and show they have ambition on the continent.
In other news, Celtic’s precarious UEFA coefficient position after Champions League group stage.
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