European qualification drums start to beat in Scotland

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Motherwell will surely get past Torshavn (Faroe Isles) in the Conference League second qualifying round, before facing either HJK Helsinki or Coleraine. Based on the Motherwell side we saw last season, that looks achievable. They are not the Motherwell of last season, but are in with a shout of making playoff round and the Conference League proper.

Hibs also have a decent chance of making the playoff round, with a tie against Kosovans Malisheva, with Bravo from Slovenia or Shkendija of North Macedonia waiting. Getting both these clubs into the Conference League would be a huge boost for Scottish football.

It is a tall order for Hearts to qualify for the Champions League after losing the most Brillant loser in Scottish managerial football history last month. They have to overcome Austrian runners-up Sturm Graz, then either Fenerbahce or Gornik Zabrze to reach the playoffs. Their possibilities range from Champions League football to being out of Europe next month.

Newco need to overcome Jagiellonia Bialystok in the third qualifying round of the Europa League. Jagiellonia finished third in a bizarre Polish league last term, which saw them finish four points behind champions Lech Poznan. It’s not the easiest draw for Newco, who will have a playoff round in either the Europa League or Conference League after this tie.

Celtic have not entered the draw yet and will be in either the Champions League or Europa League proper. The other four Scottish club could end up in the Conference, which would be an interesting angle next season.

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222 Comments
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  1. Michael: Hearts have lost the most Brillant loser in Scottish managerial football.

     

     

    Hyman Roth: What does that tell you?

     

     

    Michael: They could win.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  2. Interesting to note that Jagellonia went further than any Scottish side in Europa Conference in the past 2 seasons. Last 32 beaten by Fiorentina and last 8 by Betis. Not a cakewalk for our marching rivals for sure.

     

     

    It would be great to see Hearts Motherwell and Hibs get through however the seeding mitigate against them for the play off rounds.

  3. bournesouprecipe on

    “ Michael – I’m going to take a nap now if when I come back and the money is on the table, I’ll know if i have a partner “

     

     

    Hyman Roth

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  5. The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on

    I don’t give Hertz much of a chance.

     

     

    Hopefully they can scrape through to something that keeps them occupied mid- week until the new year.

  6. Hoop hoop Hooray on

    Imagine we hadn’t won the league in the last few minutes of the season and were playing a champions league qualifier tomorrow.

  7. The European drums obviously not being heard at Celtic Park.

     

    Burnley,never mind the distractions of our rivals draws,why no mention of our pitiful efforts to get players in.You ignore any questions on the subject.

  8. PeterLatchfordsBelly on

    All 4 making the conference league play offs would be ideal. Less money for huns and minis but keeps them busy in winter midweeks and good chance of improving the league’s coefficient against weak opposition. Would love to see Motherwell and Hibs get through just for their own benefits.

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  10. Hough was one of my favourites to be signed,went on about it long enough.We failed then,and I dont have high hopes this time either.Reports saying ,offers over £ 7 million would do it.Probably right,thats normally Bodos range.I honestly dont know what this Board expect to pay for a very good striker.Maybe they are doing the usual,waiting to sell first.The numpty choice,clueless.Gives time for other teams to get in.

     

    Really sick to the teeth .Its just hopeless.

  11. The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on

    B78 – you’re normally good with this stuff- any idea of Celtic’s likely opponent or is it too early to speculate?

  12. BSR @ 12:18 pm,

     

     

    “Make it a longish nap”

     

     

    Rip Van Winkle

     

     

    Hail Hail

  13. quadrophenian on

    Kelly N Nacho’s transfer troo details ‘exposed’ by the Bursaspor bigwigs.

     

     

    Not the reported 47k p/w – a measly 23k. Still too rich for that level of availability.

     

     

    Wonder if CalMac was serious when he insisted the club had to show proper ambition to encourage him to stay ?

  14. Taurangabhoy,,

     

    Reading back.Sorry if my poking fun at that gormless,educated idiot,of a CEO upset you.

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  16. The Blogger,

     

    I am sometimes astonished at you incredible football knowledge.

     

    I suppose,never having heard of Kasper Hough,was a mere abberation on your part.

     

     

    Then again !!!!.

  17. The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on 21st July 2026 12:33 pm

     

    B78 – you’re normally good with this stuff- any idea of Celtic’s likely opponent or is it too early to speculate?

     

     

    You mean in the Europa League?.Way to early.We have a good bit of feking up to do first.

  18. Does anyone have problems logging in? It often takes several attempts plus sometimes, when I do get logged in and then move onto the next page, I’m logged out again😮

  19. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    Hoop hoop Hooray on 21st July 12:21 pm

     

     

    Imagine we hadn’t won the league in the last few minutes of the season and were playing a champions league qualifier tomorrow.

     

     

    ——–

     

     

    Why bother imagining that?

     

     

    A total waste of emotional energy.

     

     

    Bullseye TV Show …

     

     

    Bully’s star prize …

     

     

    101 or more with 6 darts …

     

     

    Non throwing player first …

     

     

    Guy goes up to the oche and hits 120 with his first two darts.

     

     

    Jim Bowen grabs (he did grab) the guy and his mate …

     

     

    Shoves them forward (he did shove) toward the reveal of four guys pushing out a caravan

     

     

    And exclaims excitedly

     

     

    “Look what you could’ve lost ….”

     

     

    🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

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  21. Garngad to Croy on

    Turkey clubs pay players net salary (they pay players tax)

     

    To match a net weekly salary of £23,000 a player in Scotland must earn a gross salary of £43,510 per week (well above Celtics pay structure)

  22. Garngad to Croy,

     

    Nearly right.

     

    Bursaspor have a maximum wage of £12,000.

     

    Probably around the £ 23000 mentioned.

     

    I

  23. More ” Inquiries to Oviedo about Hassan from Micheal Nicholson.

     

    Seems they have got the Oviedo CEO,a bit puzzled.

     

     

    Whats his favourite crisps?

     

    Is he a fan of Taylor Swift?

     

    Matt Damon,or Tom cruise?

     

    Has he” Seen the Pyramids along the Nile”

     

    Finally,” If he had the chance to do it all again,tell me,would he,could he”.I’m a big Streisand fan

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  25. Guy goes up to the oche and hits 120 with his first two darts.

     

     

    Jim Bowen grabs (he did grab) the guy and his mate

     

     

    Shoves them forward (he did shove) toward the reveal of four guys pushing out a caravan

     

     

    And exclaims excitedly

     

     

    “Look what you could’ve lost ….”I

     

     

    ======

     

     

    And guy goes awe fek , I was hoping for a speedboat…

     

    😂

  26. I like reading about all these obscure European teams in the early qualifying rounds.

     

     

    It’s a nice appetiser before the real stuff starts.

     

     

    I always had a soft spot for Norwegian side, FC Odd.

  27. vinniethedog on

    So far …Money in ..7.2

     

    Money out 3.0 ( if that .but I’ll take A Joseph’s word )

     

    Maeda valued according to Japanese sources

     

    between 3 and 4 Billion Yen….that’s between 14-19 million £…to you and me….Maeda wants us to lower price …sorry Daizen can’t go below 15 !!

     

    I was hoping 20 .but hey only go 8n bank so no real angst from me

     

    League under way in 13 days …..

  28. Turkeybhoy @ 1:04 pm,

     

     

    So…

     

     

    …Turkey uses a Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) system. Employers are legally required to withhold Income Tax and mandatory Social Security contributions (SGK) directly from an employee’s monthly salary and pay them to the government on their behalf.”

     

     

    So, very similar to here really…

     

     

    So 23K after deductions would net KI 12K per week… makes sense…

     

     

    So that 47K p.w. before tax thing was made up…

     

     

    Wonder by whom!?

     

     

    Hail Hail

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  30. bournesouprecipe on

    CHAIRBHOY

     

     

    Long nap indeed,

     

     

    Big waxy moustaches don’t wax themselves,

     

     

    By the time they’d stopped blaming everyone else we’d a new Prime Minister and Madonna had nearly made a comeback. 🤣

     

     

    The ‘excuses’ now have their own transfer window and they’re in earlier than the players.

     

     

    Mibbees, they’re reviewing the review of recruitment, The only people who emerge entirely blameless at Celtic , are the ones who have been running the operation for years.🤣

  31. ziggydoc1 on 21st July 2026 12:51 pm

     

    Does anyone have problems logging in? It often takes several attempts plus sometimes, when I do get logged in and then move onto the next page, I’m logged out again😮

     

     

    ——-

     

     

    If you login and there is no comment box or its saying you are not logged in, refresh the page and the comments box appears

     

     

    Its a glitch in the cache and just takes a refresh to move it along

  32. PeterLatchfordsBelly on

    As Mervin King would say, to understand where we are you have to ask yourself ‘what’s really going on here’, basing your analysis on all available evidence.

     

     

    You can choose to believe the Board’s framing that it’s all very hard despite their best endeavours etc.

     

     

    My alternative reading is:

     

     

    – Nicholson and Square Jaw are/ were real ‘Celtic men’ but…

     

    – First and foremost they’re career men

     

    – they occupy very privileged positions they don’t want to jeopardise

     

    – retaining those positions relies on pleasing the despot

     

    – the despot is all about winning financial battles – football is secondary

     

    – his main aim is to prove you can make money from football

     

    – ergo that’s without contest the highest priority for the ‘business’

     

    – that requires containing transfer and wage costs above all

     

    – it also relies on maximising income streams, above all merchandise

     

    – football costs are a loss leader that should be kept to an absolute minimum

     

    – that’s what Nicholson and Square Jaw are doing

     

    – there is a fundamental dissonance between that view of Celtic’s function and that of the fans, which is football first

     

    – the Board cannot speak honestly about their priorities as it highlights this dissonance and fans – as the main income source – will stop spending

     

    – so instead we get deflection, procrastination, disingenuousness etc and hope that domestic success will temper the worst supported outrage

     

    – we are/ have reached the end of the road with that strategy

     

    – something has got to give

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  34. bournesouprecipe on

    “Talk is cheap.” – Dermot Desmond ages ago

     

     

    An extraordinary insight, considering Celtic have spent years trying to prove words are considerably cheaper than left-backs.

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