![\"Celtic](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0_Celtic-v-Slovan-Bratislava-UEFA-Champions-League-League-Stage-Celtic-Park.jpg\")
Celtic are dreaming of Champions League qualification(Image: PA)<\/p>\nThe Hoops will face either FC Kairat Almaty or Slovan Bratislava in this month’s two-legged playoff<\/p>\n
22:30, 05 Aug 2025Updated 23:03, 05 Aug 2025<\/p>\n
Celtic are dreaming of Champions League qualification(Image: PA)<\/p>\n
Alistair Johnston insists he has full confidence Celtic<\/a> can unlock the riches of the Champions League.<\/p>\n The Hoops right-back is desperate for another crack at the big time and is counting down the days to the high-stakes showdown with either FC Kairat Almaty or Slovan Bratislava.<\/a><\/p>\n Johnston<\/a> has relished testing himself against Europe\u2019s elite over the last two seasons.<\/p>\n And after taking Bayern Munich all the way in the knockouts, the Canada international believes Brendan Rodgers\u2019<\/a> side can reach a new level – if they safely navigate the \u00a340million playoffs.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cIt’s going to be a test. There’s no doubt about that. I do feel that we have the squad in there that can get that done.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s probably plenty of talk about the outgoings. But at the same time, I look at us bringing in some really talented players.<\/p>\n \u201cWe’ve also got a group that’s played together for an extra year now and money can\u2019t buy that Champions League experience we picked up.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have played at Celtic Park together in these big moments, and we have an understanding of what it means to play at the highest level for this club.<\/p>\n \u201cI think that we are in a better spot in terms of the Champions League mentality-wise. And you never know what’s going to happen at the end of the transfer window.<\/p>\n \u201cHowever, this is a massive European qualifier this month and we know it won\u2019t be easy.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s going to really kind of kickstart the season and then, you hopefully get through and look at the draw.<\/p>\n \u201cThen you have to see who you get and find a way to get enough points to secure knockout football.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd then you probably hope you don\u2019t draw Bayern Munich in the first round again – that would definitely help!<\/p>\n \u201cBut within our changing room, we feel we have the quality and the experience to take another step, both domestically and on the European front.\u201d<\/p>\n Celtic would be guaranteed at least eight European nights in the revamped league phase format if they qualify.<\/p>\n Celts finished 21st in the 36-team table last season after banking 12 points – including three wins and three draws.<\/p>\n And Johnston admits that campaign has only whetted his appetite for more<\/p>\n He said: \u201cIt’s precisely that. You get the chance to play at the highest level in front of some of the best crowds in the biggest atmospheres.<\/p>\n \u201cYou’re playing against the best players and best teams. You realise you get a taste of that and you go, this is where you want to be.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s the same with international football. When you get a chance to play at a World Cup, all you’re thinking about now is that next World Cup.<\/p>\n \u201cYou’re not thinking about the next friendly. No, you want to play at the World Cups. That’s what the Champions League is for club football.<\/p>\n \u201cSo for us to have played ten games in that competition last season, in some of the highest-level matches, was great<\/p>\n \u201cOur fans would agree those are some of the best days in terms of the midweek nights and the electricity in the crowd.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd how good some of the football is that you play and also how good the opposition is.<\/p>\n \u201cThere’s a level of respect there that brings out the best in both sides. You have to be at your best as a player if you want to survive at that level.<\/p>\n \u201cWe’re all competitors at heart and you want to see what is that highest level you can reach as a footballer.<\/p>\n \u201cIn those kinds of matches, that\u2019s where you really can find that level. It’s a massive task to get into the Champions League for us, obviously, with this qualifier.<\/p>\n \u201cBut if we do get in, then is there a way that we can play more than 10 matches? That would be unbelievable as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Tune in to Hotline Live<\/a> every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football and listen to Record Sport’s newest podcast, Game On<\/a>, every Friday for your sporting fix, all in bitesize chunks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Hoops will face either FC Kairat Almaty or Slovan Bratislava in this month’s two-legged playoff 22:30, 05…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":46676,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[563],"tags":[18788,64,63,18282,6257,596,9003,18789,85],"class_list":["post-46675","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-football","tag-alistair-johnston","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-celtic-fc","tag-champions-league","tag-football","tag-scottish-premiership","tag-scottish-professional-football-league","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46675","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46675"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46675\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46676"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46675"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46675"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46675"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Celtic](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0_Celtic-v-St-Mirren-William-Hill-Premiership.jpg\")
Celtic star Alistair Johnston(Image: SNS Group)<\/p>\n