Celtic have learned that they will meet Austrian title‑holders LASK in the Champions League qualifying round, a tie that will determine whether the Glasgow club proceeds to the group stage of Europe’s premier competition or drops into the Europa League. The Scottish side, managed by Martin O'Neill, will host the first leg of the two‑match showdown on either 18 or 19 August, with the return fixture scheduled for 25 or 26 August. The loser of the encounter will be transferred to the Europa League’s league phase, giving them another chance to continue their continental campaign.
Meanwhile, Premier League outfit Brighton & Hove Albion have been drawn against either Romanian side CFR Cluj or Norwegian club Tromsø in the play‑off round of the UEFA Europa Conference League. The Seagulls, who finished eighth in the English top flight last season, will play the decisive second leg at home, with the two matches set for 20 and 27 August. Their first leg will be away, and the tie will be sandwiched between Brighton’s opening league match against Aston Villa on 23 August, which will be televised live on Sky Sports. The draw that took place on Monday also revealed the paths for several other British clubs.
Rangers and Hearts learned who they could face in the Europa League play‑off round if they succeed in their third‑round qualifiers. Rangers, under Derek McInnes, travel to Poland to take on Jagiellonia Białystok for the first leg on Thursday, with the return leg to follow the next week.
Should they prevail, they will draw either Northern Irish champions Larne or Georgian side Iberia 1999 in the subsequent play‑off round, with the first leg slated for 20 August at Ibrox. A defeat would see Rangers drop into the Conference League play‑offs, where they could meet the winners of a tie between Lincoln Red Imps and Omonia.
Hearts, who were relegated to the Europa League after exiting the Champions League, have been paired with Denmark’s AGF Aarhus or Azerbaijan’s Sabah in the play‑off round. The first leg will be hosted at Tynecastle Park on 20 August, with the second leg on 27 August. However, Hearts must first overcome Benfica in the third‑round qualifier, a match that will be played away in Portugal on Thursday before the return leg at home the following week. If Hearts lose in the Europa League play‑off, they will also be redirected to the Conference League play‑off stage, potentially facing either Paide or Rapid Vienna.
Motherwell’s European adventure continues as well. The Fir Park side will face German Bundesliga side Freiburg – the previous season’s Europa League finalists – in the Conference League play‑off round, provided they defeat HJK Helsinki in the third‑round qualifier.
Alfred Johansson’s Motherwell travel to Helsinki on Wednesday, with the second leg at home on 13 August. Hibernian have also secured a possible route into the Conference League.
The Edinburgh club will host KF Shkëndija on Thursday, with a return leg on 13 August. If they progress, they will be drawn against either IFK Göteborg of Sweden or Belgian side Gent for a place in the play‑offs. The broader schedule for the Conference League play‑offs is set for 20 and 27 August, while the Champions League and Europa League first‑leg fixtures are slated for 18/19 August and the second legs for 25/26 August.
A long list of other ties has been announced across the various competitions, featuring clubs from across Europe such as Levski Sofia, Kairat Almaty, AEK Athens, Dinamo Zagreb, Viking, Mjällby, Slovan Bratislava, Ararat‑Armenia, Celje, Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Red Star Belgrade, Fenerbahçe, Sturm Graz, Sparta Prague, Lyon, Olympiakos, NEC Nijmegen, Union Saint‑Gilloise, Bodø/Glimt, Trabzonspor, Ferencváros, Górnik Zabrze, KuPS Kuopio, Universitatea Craiova, Sint‑Truiden, Viktoria Plzeň, Shamrock Rovers, Egnatia, Lillestrøm, and many more. These fixtures illustrate the intricate web of qualifying routes that clubs across the continent must navigate to reach the group stages of Europe’s three major tournaments. For Celtic, a win over LASK would secure a coveted spot in the Champions League group phase, delivering both prestige and significant financial rewards. A loss, while disappointing, still offers a safety net in the Europa League, where the club can aim to progress further.
Brighton’s situation is slightly different. Their placement in the Conference League reflects the club’s ambition to gain European experience despite finishing outside the top‑seven in the Premier League. By defeating either CFR Cluj or Tromsø, the Seagulls can secure a place in the Conference League group stage, providing valuable continental exposure for their squad and an opportunity to test themselves against clubs from diverse footballing cultures. The scheduling of these play‑off ties also has domestic implications.
Both Rangers and Hearts have requested that their league fixtures scheduled between the two legs of any potential play‑off be postponed, meaning matches against St Mirren and Falkirk respectively will be rearranged to avoid fixture congestion and ensure the clubs can field competitive line‑ups in both domestic and European contests. Overall, the draws have set the stage for an exciting early‑season period in European football, with Scottish clubs in particular facing a mixture of familiar and unfamiliar opponents.
Fans can look forward to a series of high‑stakes matches that will shape the continental journeys of Celtic, Brighton, Rangers, Hearts, Motherwell, and Hibernian, while also providing a glimpse of the broader European landscape as clubs from Austria, Romania, Norway, Poland, Denmark, Azerbaijan, Germany, Finland, Belgium, and many other nations prepare to battle for a place in the group stages.