The dirty wee secret for countries to move their way up the Uefa coefficient table is to concentrate resources to the Conference League. Winning points in the Champions League is difficult (Celtic’s impressive tally from last season was an outlier). The Europa League is a far easier environment, but that competition still has very strong clubs; as Ange Postecoglou found out in his first season at Celtic.
The Conference League is by some way the easiest competition to work in. Even Hearts won three games last season, and they were rubbish. All three Uefa competitions offer two coefficient points for a win. Scottish football would be rescued from its slide down the coefficient table with more of our clubs entering the Conference League.
That option is not available to Celtic next season, who will play either Champions or Europa League football, while Aberdeen, Newco, Hibernian and Dundee United can all reach the Conference League.
Yesterday’s draw set Hibs against Midtjylland in the Europa League second qualifying round. They will almost certainly drop to the Conference League third qualifying round, with the playoff round one further step away. Dundee United should overcome a side from Luxemburg (do we remember a Scottish side losing to a Luxemburg team?) in their Conference League qualifier.
Newco have three rounds ahead, with the Champions, Europa and Conference Leagues on the table, as well as elimination from Europe in the qualifiers. Aberdeen won the Scottish Cup (no memory of this), which ensures them Europa or Conference League football, the latter is far more likely.
It is a big ask for Hibs and United to reach the Conference League. Aberdeen should lose a qualifier and get there, while a Panathinaikos win would make it likely Newco would join Aberdeen.
114 Comments- Pages:
- 1
- 2
- 3
- »
Shirley Knott ?
https://icdn.thecelticstar.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Unknown.jpeg.webp
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcardhawkuk.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2FSUNDAYMAILFOOTBW44972GW458-84-scaled.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=7ab97cb5bd95e5dec186ba2f355da895cee72eac1a01716d0f900b181edcd033
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ficdn.thecelticstar.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F03%2FGW720H960.jpeg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=90c64a3a02254bf122e71075d4cc7405507d9b4ac561d8dab9f2bdc91f59fa3f
And there lies the problem, each competition carries the same coefficient per victory.
Why it’s not weighted, no idea🤷♀️
https://images.webapi.gc.celticfc.com/fit-in/1400×1400/45c54c50-124a-11eb-965d-2fa876d354ec.jpg
Going back to yesterday, Paul. You said: “last year’s reliance on high value signings from expensive leagues of players who, as a result, have limited development potential, are over”.
Not sure why you think there is no value in the English Championship. A few years ago I said we should go for Michael Olise when he was still at Reading. Palace picked him up for £8m and sold him for 60m. You could look at Gyokeres as another example.
Surely the development value is more to do with the player than the league? And surely players have value beyond what they are sold for? Do they not also add value from what they contribute when they are here?
Glasstwothirdsfull
? And surely players have value beyond what they are sold for? Do they not also add value from what they contribute when they are here?
————————————————————————
Well said that man. Players contribute to all our trophy’s all our success all our CL qualification which in turn drives merchandising tickets etc etc.
we are a football club.
We are not a buy cheap and pile them high two dime store.
This constant focus on resell value above all else on here does ma nut in. For every Engels or Idah I will name several duds who cost just as much collectively and contributed little apart from drawing a wage
Did UEFA not intend to do away with National element in the co-efficient? Each club has to earn it’s own numbers
Bigbhoy – There are two distinct coefficients, country and club. Country is a function of all teams performance and determines how many spots each league gets in each competition, whether they’re required to qualify, plus at what round they enter qualifying.
Club coef. is a function of that club’s individual European performance, and determines a club’s seeding in whatever round they’re placed as per the above.
This is why you get, for example, Newcastle with a club coef. of 23 (lower than Celtic’s 38) achieving automatic grp qualification because they’re from the EPL which has a high country coef., but placed as a pot 4 team due to their low club coef.
This is the current system, I’m not aware there’s any movement to change it.
I am a wee bit puzzled by the pile on from fan media about Kuhn.
Exaggerated comments around body language, surliness, that message to the support with the cupped ears, and a narrative that his head was turned after German clubs interest, allegedly.
From my seat I saw a player whos form regressed some, but he had hit peak performance in autumn that I just didnt think he had in him. He scored many big goals for us, 21 in total and 15 assists. Including 2 at Tannadice as we won the league, I saw him celbrate plenty then.
Listen to Lenny on Opengoal, a lesson there about holding on to players that are wanting away, so only let Nic go if he really wants it.
As a buy the way, I could swear I saw Any Robertson in Bishopton yesterday, anyone know if he is up the road.
the logic of some is that Celtic would do fine in Europa and the fans would enjoy the success as we would have a genuine chance in the competition, Meanwhile accepting that the prizepot to win it would be less than a chamipions league participation.
So going with that all 4 other clubs should be happy to to get conference league to go get more points ignoring they have 2 games less in the league stage.
Aiming low that surely will increase our standards wont it ?
can we go the challenge cup this year instead of the scottish ?
we scored 159 goals last season, 7 players scored 10 or more, and yet some people are bored.
So is the ideal scenario, we qualify for CL group and all other Scottish teams pick up coefficient points in the conference. If the Huns drop out of CL, they still have a crack at qualifying for the Europa
I agree that there should be some sort of weighting system for the different competitions. I see the young Morton boy has signed.
I agree that there should be some sort of weighting system for the different competitions
—————-
I diagree.
If there was higher points for the champions league then those super power leagues will stay the same for ever, more teams at the top end gathering more points.
Nothing would ever change in the rankings.
To be clear there is 4 points for CL league stage qualification. A further 5 points for last 16. 0 bonus for the last 16 play off which we reached last season.
There is only 1 bonus pt for Europa last 16 and none for Conf.
There is also bonus points for qualifier games across all 3 comps. These are 50% of those for league games.
Losing in playoff this year for CL and missing last 16 Europa really would be crap for us. Winning through and getting last 16 would really be a jackpot for us. We were close last year but really will need to step up this time if we have a tricky draw. Let’s hope we can.
Rangers could land in region of 8 or 9 coeff points just by qualifying for CL league stage this season.
Sun 9 Mar 2025
‧
Scottish Cup –
Quarter-finals
Celtic 2 , Hibernian 0 at Full time
Celtic
Celtic
2
0
Hibernian
Hibernian
Full time
FT
Half Time Celtic 1 , Hibernian 0
HT 1-0
Key Events
Celtic
D. Maeda (39′)Goal 39 minutes
A. Idah (90’+2)Goal 90 minutes plus 2
Hibernian
Assists
Celtic,L. McCowan (90’+2)
Venue:
Celtic Park
Attendance:
58,911
MORTON have confirmed the transfer of 17-year-old academy player Isaac English to Celtic for an undisclosed fee.
The club said that English, who was part of the Club Academy Scotland (CAS) Performance League title-winning side last season, as well as reaching the final of the CAS Cup, had been under the watchful eye of the Scottish Premiership champions for a number of months.
Morton stated: “Following discussions between Greenock Morton FC and Celtic FC, an agreement was reached for Isaac, who has been part of our academy for a number of years, to move to Parkhead and everybody at the club wishes Isaac well in his next chapter and we look forward to watching his future development.”
Good article Paul.
Hardly a dirty secret though albeit the reintroduction of a third tier competition has broadened opportunities.
Romanian teams jumped all over this 15 years ago.
None could barely pick up a point in the Champions League but four of them doing no better than quite well in the UEFA Cup saw them getting TWO CL spots !!!!
Meanwhile dumb and dumber at the SFA kept giving European slots to lower division clubs who lucked their way to the Scottish Cup Final before being hammered by a top Premier League team who’d already qualified for Europe.
Strategic thinking ….. NOT
SAINT STIVS on 19TH JUNE 2025 1:42 PM
—————
Great post SS.
Think Kuhn was our best player v Leipzig in the 3-1 win.
His pass for Daizen that he skyed was world class and if had been made by De Bruyne or someone, would’ve been shown for months afterwards.
See below…2m 30secs in, not to mention his goals
https://youtu.be/_wRcfEUt7Cg?feature=shared
Announcement of Results for the year ended 30 June 2024
SUMMARY OF THE RESULTS
Key Operational Items
Winners of the SPFL Premiership and Scottish Cup in season 2023/24.
Winners of the SWPL in season 2023/24.
Qualification for the group stages of the UEFA Champions League for season 2024/25.
Participation in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League in season 2023/24 achieving 4 points.
24 home matches played at Celtic Park (2023: 26 games).
Key Financial Items
Group revenue increased by 3.9% to £124.6m (2023: £119.9m).
Operating expenses including labour increased by 10.4% to £105.4m (2023: £95.4m).
Gain on sale of player registrations of £6.6m (2023: £14.4m).
Acquisition of player registrations of £16.6m (2023: £13.0m)
Profit before taxation of £17.8m (2023: £40.7m).
Year-end cash of £77.2m (2023: £72.3m).
I’m hearing Johnny Kenny to PAOK.
The huns must have employed a top K.C. to come up with a whataboutery defence.
Swiss Tony
Do you have a reliable source?
TT
Looks like the new owners are the same as the old owners with entitled statements when they are held to account. Just bury them Celtic.
Tiny Tim, aye my Greek POAK crazy mate asked me about him out of the blue. He knows 5 fifths of feck all about Scottish football so can only guess that’s coming from someone he knows over there.
But that’s all I’ve got.
Swiss
ASCOT TODAY…
What a good day overall for me Betting wise.
I managed to bet SIX WINNERS out of SEVEN Races.
The EARLY Prices of my winners were….8/1, 7/1, 4/I, 3/1, 9/4, and 4/6.
Sadly, I only managed to have THREE of the Winners on a ” LUCKY 15″ Bet. The Four other winners were spread over Two other ” LUCKY 15″ Bets, so I did NOT win a fortune HOWEVER..
I also managed to get the ASCOT PLACEPOT UP….
The Placepot Dividend paid out £42.80 for a £1.00 Stake.
I had the Placepot UP for a £2.20 Stake….so I got back £94.06 for my PLACEPOT Bet.
I cant complain too much, although it was a wee bit frustrating to have only THREE of the winners one the one line.
Not too shabby I suppose.
LOL.
HH.
Looks like someone in the 49ers group came across the dog whistle while rummaging around in the basket of assets.
False alarm, different JJ Kenny signed for POAk, my bad..
Tottenham Hotspur have been fined £75,000 by the Football Association following homophobic chanting by their fans during a 3-0 win at Manchester United last September.
The chanting was said to have taken place in the 49th and 79th minutes of the Premier League fixture at Old Trafford.
Immediately after the game, Spurs condemned “abhorrent homophobic chanting” as “simply unacceptable” and vowed to take the “strongest possible action”.
The FA has confirmed the fine for “two breaches of FA Rule E21 in relation to crowd control misconduct”.
That rule governs the behaviour of supporters at matches.
Scullybhoy
I’ll not be holding my breath waiting on the SFA dishing out fines for “abhorrent anti catholic chanting” in the new season.
GGH
I’ve got more chance of being the next prime minister.
RIP John McCormack
Big Dan , just catching up .
His namesake was one of my father’s favourite singers , along with Father Sidney McEwan .
https://youtu.be/Pp5iZdWKaA8?feature=shared
Celtic plc (the “Company”)
INTERIM REPORT FOR THE SIX MONTHS TO 31 DECEMBER 2024
Key Operational Items
14 home fixtures (2023: 14).
Participation in the UEFA Champions League group stages for both the Men’s and Women’s first
teams.
Post period end qualification for the play-off round of the Men’s UEFA Champions League.
Winners of the Premier Sports Cup 2024.
Key Financial Items
Revenue reduced by 2.1% to £83.5m (2023: £85.2m).
Profit from trading before intangible asset transactions was £26.9m (2023: £32.0m).
Profit from transfer of player registrations (shown as profit on disposal of intangible assets)
£21.5m (2023: £2.6m).
Profit before taxation of £43.9m (2023: £30.3m).
Acquisition of player registrations of £28.1m (2023: £12.9m).
Period end cash of £65.4m (2023: £67.3m)
garygillespieshamstring on 19th June 2025 7:23 pm
Scullybhoy
I’ll not be holding my breath waiting on the SFA dishing out fines for “abhorrent anti catholic chanting” in the new season.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The Famine song? And singing about paedophilia?
Scullybhoy
The hun does what the hun want. Always been the way in our lifetime K.
Big Jimmy – I’m guessing you have a closer relationship with the bookies than many on here.
A favour?
See what odds you can get on R2ngers releasing a statement that does NOT
…. go on
… and on
… and on
… and on
… and on
… and on
… and on
… and on
… and on
… and on
Zzzzz.