---
title: "Celtic: Fans in sombre mood as Europa League play-offs beckon"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/celtic-fans-in-sombre-mood-as-europa-league-play-offs-beckon/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Liam Togher"
section: "SPFL News"
published: "2019-08-14T19:20:14Z"
modified: "2019-08-14T19:20:14Z"
---

# Celtic: Fans in sombre mood as Europa League play-offs beckon

**Following last night’s defeat to CFR Cluj, Celtic’s Champions League hopes have ended in the qualifying rounds once more and instead the Hoops are headed for the Europa League play-offs.**

As tweeted by [@CelticBible](https://twitter.com/CelticBible), Neil Lennon’s side will need to get past either AIK Solna or Sheriff Tiraspol if they are to reach the group stages of the Europa League, with Sweden’s AIK holding a 2-1 first leg lead over their Moldovan opponents.

https://twitter.com/CelticBible/status/1161408033450266635

This is the second year in a row that Celtic have transferred into the Europa League play-offs after falling in the third qualifying round of the Champions League, where they were [beaten by AEK Athens 12 months ago](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2018/08/14/celtic-crash-champions-league-qualifying-second-leg-defeat-aek/).

The Hoops recovered from that setback to [defeat Lithuanian club Suduva to reach the group stage](https://www.skysports.com/football/celtic-vs-suduva/401696), from which they [ultimately qualified](https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/46531216) before [losing to Valencia in the round of 32](https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/47252765) last February.

Having already contested [six matches in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/celtic-glasgow/spielplan/verein/371), Celtic will have played 14 European games before Christmas if they get past the Europa League play-offs.

The prospect of meeting AIK or Sheriff in the play-off round of Europe’s secondary club competition is not one that fills these Celtic fans with much enthusiasm:

> Fans should boycott this game.
>
> — Shaun (@TheTweetofShaun) [August 13, 2019](https://twitter.com/TheTweetofShaun/status/1161409842281615360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

https://twitter.com/PoorThings1992/status/1161539929622687744

https://twitter.com/davidm191212/status/1161572279521894401

> Lennon sticks by Cal Mac at LB, we go out. This will age well.
>
> — Gbhoy (@GbhoyDownUnder) [August 13, 2019](https://twitter.com/GbhoyDownUnder/status/1161411870512652288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

https://twitter.com/kjbohan/status/1161409119347183617

> AIK better than cluj..
>
> — JakeBrown (@jakebrown\_1994) [August 13, 2019](https://twitter.com/jakebrown_1994/status/1161408433070968835?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)