If Celtic overcome FK Sarajevo in the Champions League first qualification round they will face either Macedonians, FK Shkendija or Nomme Kalju, from Estonia. Shkendija are first round seeds.
Last season Shkendija eliminated Welsh side The New Saints in a remarkable tie, winning the first leg 5-0 and losing the return 4-0. They then eliminated Moldovans, Sheriff Tiraspol 1-0 on aggregate before Salzburg knocked them out 4-0 on aggregate (no shame there). Our old pals Rosenborg then knocked them out at the Europa League play-off round, 5-1 on aggregate.
In 2018 Shkendija won cofomrtably against Moldovan opponents in the Europa first qualifying round, then beat HJK Helsinki in the second round and Luthianians Trakai in the third. This setup a trip to the San Siro for the team from Tetovo (population 52,000), where they lost 6-0.
Nomme Kalju exited last season’s Europa League at the first round to Stjarnan, our pals from Iceland.
It is almost certain Shkendija will progress to the second round. They are one of the better teams who float around the qualifiers without ever reaching a group stage, but Celtic should have enough in the tank to progress through both opening rounds. Happy to take this draw.
It is clear Celtic wanted David Turnbull, but not at any price. Wage structures have been broken for ‘the right player’ but everyone needs to have signed up to the view that the player in question is worthy of breaking the structure. The player and his agent are entitled to shop around for the highest wage.
Still, it is another one that got away. Stiffer challenges than Sarajevo, Shkendija and Kalju will arrive in August.
277 Comments- Pages:
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COYBIG
We are loosing the PR battle. Its the style not the substance. Those stupid tweets made us look like a scorned lover.
Keep schtum, get the business done then tweet till your hearts content
Traditionalist88
2 days in a row well done !!
PARK ROAD 67 on 19TH JUNE 2019 12:04 PM
Cheers:)
HH
NOTTHEBUS
Good point. We have done nothing wrong here but it is all about perceptions. Let’s get back to where we were before….linked with all kinds of nonsense ‘signings’ in the media then we announce the signing which takes us all by surprise . Not always great signings , but at least the whole business looked like we were in control of events.
Paul67
What happened to the Dembele money?
Celtic have already completed a unique 10-in-a-row.
One that R****** have never & will never do.
10 successive trophies.
3 trebles & the League in season 2015/16.
Still….
HH
Rumours that Nicky Hammond wants to bring his own cleaner with him.
Fool Time
Brendan Rodgers no here for ten in a row?
I would feel more confident about these CL qualifying rounds with a quality right back and quality centre half signed. Is there a possibility of getting Big Ben back for another season?
FTW
Does Hibs’ Scottish Cup win not count?
Won after our league win in 2016.
We should sign the cleaner from Ajax…
DD…good to see you back sir…hope you’re ok…
Think Turnbull could have been a good acquisition for us, allowing us to play McGregor deeper without losing his goals contribution or maybe even as an eventual replacement.
I’m sure the player will have considered many things in making his choice. I doubt very much if money was the only (or even most important) issue. Callum not making a single appearance under NL at the age he is now might even have been a factor.
I suspect he wants to develop as a player and thinks that will be more likely at Norwich under Daniel Farke than at Celtic.
DD
My selective use of dates is integral to my point. :o]]]
WBC
Thanks. Would feel happier with a couple of quality signings for our defence, and maybe a striker too. Never understood the need for another midfielder being our priority signing.
Hope all good with you.
YNWA
BSR
Moving on up.
NOTTHEBUS on 19TH JUNE 2019 12:03 PM
Nothing wrong with Celtic replying on social media.
The message was unambiguous ” We move on ”
Unfortunately we didn’t and it is that which has made us look scorned.
HH.
FTW
In this case, a wee bit of poetic license is ok. ???
Greenpinata
Hopefully ‘hell hath no fury, like a CEO scorned’
WEEBOBBYCOLLINS on 19TH JUNE 2019 12:39 PM
We should sign the cleaner from Ajax…
—–
Personally I’d go for the lady at Shake n Vac.
Fits with our current need ‘to put the freshness back’
I’m here all week. Thanks and goodnight.
NOTTHEBUS on 19TH JUNE 2019 12:03 PM
We are loosing the PR battle. Its the style not the substance. Those stupid tweets made us look like a scorned lover.
Keep schtum, get the business done then tweet till your hearts content
____
First of all, Celtic don’t normally comment publicly on transfers. This is an exception to normal policy.
Why? Because Motherwell had taken the unusual step to announce an agreed fee. Therefore, Celtic were then under the clock to get a deal done with the player. When Turnbull walked away from the deal the fans were owed an explanation.
As for the PR battle, the zombies are having a great time celebrating this transfer window. Let them.
It’s all they have.
Celtic need to move on. There are other players out there. We let go Andy Robertson but found Kieran Tierney. We missed out on McGinn but Ryan Christie was right under our noses.
Maybe this opens a door to Ewan Henderson.
Norwich has just spent under 3% of their new-found riches for Turnball.
Experience tells me he’ll have a limited chance to play in the relegation dogfight those who come up face in the bestest league in the world.
He’ll get much nore money but much less game play I suspect.
So almost 4 weeks since we kicked a ball and the best we’ve come up with is a 19 year old from 10 miles along the road. And yet we mananged to botch that. Does any Celtic supporter anywhere in the world find it hard to understand why Brendan Rodgers couldn’t wait to leave? It’s a new summer but we repeat the mistakes of the past. The transfer business, by his own admission, revolves around one man. The same man who plays the support like a violin.
Fail to prepare and you prepare to fail.
Supporters everywhere worrying about qualifying for the UCL. Why? We’re already a European irrelevance. Lawwell and co will do just enough to stay ahead of a team called Rangers and nothing more.
You know how this ends.
I don’t disagree with Celtics strategy at all.
My point is we responded to a Motherwell tweet, who were setting the agenda.
Style over substance.
The fans dont need or require a blow by blow account. Communicate as you wish at the END of the negotiations.Win or loose.
DD good to see you back hope everything well fhella HH
Hope turbbull enjoys the championship in 2020 HH
David17 – Does any Celtic supporter anywhere in the world find it hard to understand why Brendan Rodgers couldn’t wait to leave?
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Is the answer “he was a narcissistic, ego-driven sociopath” ??
Anybody got anything positive to add? ps we always lose preseason. I still strugglw ti get used to it mind you
Hh
David17 – You know how this ends.
——
Is the answer “another domestic treble ?”
Sadly European irrelevance is a matter of fact for the those outside the Big 5 leagues…
1 Moussa Dembele gets you 3 quarters of an Olly Burke these days.
Right Back, Centre Half, Centre Forward pleeeeeeeeeease
B-)
BIG WAVY on 19TH JUNE 2019 1:20 PM
David17 – Does any Celtic supporter anywhere in the world find it hard to understand why Brendan Rodgers couldn’t wait to leave?
—-
Is the answer “he was a narcissistic, ego-driven sociopath”
——-
Is that clinically proven? He was and is a top class Manager. More than good enough to hang around and put up with the sheer incompetence in the Celtic Boardroom. History will be more favourable to Brendan than the present and he well knows it.
Director of football , eh…..?
Let’s hope he can direct a few decent footballers our way.
Franny
Cheers. Think we need a quality signing or two to raise the spirits. Hope all good with you.
David17
We were good for ‘unemployed’ Brendan Rodgers, who, having been sacked by Liverpool, needed a lifeline to get back on the ladder. He was a great coach domestically, utterly niaive on the European scene and felt the need to tell us (creepily) how much he loved us whilst planning his exit route at the first drop of a hat (which meant slipping away with 10 games left in the middle of the night).
CGAF about the board. Lawell’s replacement will follow the same plan and I’m stuck for an answer in that imaginary session where I ask for an improvement on a £100m turnover and a triple treble trophy count….
Oh and one ore thing….
More trophies than Tommy Burns, I know who will be judged the better man in the future by Celtic fans,..
It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it….
DD.
???
Cheers and HH.
54 year ago today we signed the Fife Beckenbauer tae a professional contract, 10 year later he was gone, sad as it was we moved on and won many many more trophies. turnbull, who the fck is turnbull.