Fifty-six years on from the defining moment in Celtic’s history the Lisbon Lions have delivered a near £1m bonus from UEFA.
Back in the mid-sixties football was a far simpler business with the champions from 32 countries going into an open draw with two legged knock out ties used to find the best team in Europe.
There was no co-efficient, media pot or any other trimmings as Jock Stein’s side knocked out the champions of France, Switzerland, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia to take their place in the Lisbon final against Inter Milan.
Helenio Herrera’s side were strong favourites but were played off the park by an attack minded side involved in the European Cup for the first time. Goals from Tommy Gemmell and Stevie Chalmers delivered the big cup, being competed for for the first time and a legacy was set.
The Lions never got paid a great deal. Not much more than an ordinary working person & to this day bring joy to so many.
As Celtic are loaded, it would be a nice touch to share a good % of this with the remaining Lions & any partners of those who have passed away #Celtic 🍀 https://t.co/7W7eYz0vhk— E-Tims (@ETimsNet) August 30, 2023
UEFA mathematicians have almost taken over the competition with a 10 year co-efficient determining how a certain pot of money is split between the 32 teams in the Champions League group stage.
Celtic have only won two matches in that competition in the last decade, at home to Ajax and away to Anderlecht although Europa League results are also taken into account.
The five year co-efficient means that Celtic will be a Pot 4 side in Thursday’s draw which rules out teams such as Newcastle and Real Sociedad as possible opponents.
Europe’s superstar sides are in Pot 1 such as Manchester City, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint Germain but the champions of Portugal and the Netherlands, Benfica and Feyenoord are also included.
Manchester United, Real Madrid and Arsenal are in Pot 2 which is the club’s with the highest co-efficient that never won their championship last season.
Pots 3 and 4 are a mixed bag of clubs but after picking up two points from six matches last season Celtic know that they are facing a massive task with Brendan Rodgers admitting that his squad is weaker than last season.
With just over two days of business left in the transfer window Rodgers needs the club to come up with a few unlikely gems in the scramble for business.
Here’s how the CL groups are shaping up with 3 playoff games to go.
If Rakow beat Copenhagen tomorrow they’ll go into Pot 4, moving YBB up to Pot 3. Copenhagen lead 1-0 from the 1st leg in Poland.
The winner of Rangers/PSV is in Pot 3. The winner of Antwerp/AEK is in Pot 4. pic.twitter.com/MnJH61LCsC
— Moravcik67 (@Moravcik67_) August 29, 2023
