Celtic head to Belgrade for Europa League opener amid club turbulence

Celtic travel to Belgrade to open their Europa League campaign with an away match against Red Star Belgrade at the Rajko Mitic Stadium. Seven months after pushing Bayern Munich so close in a Champions League knockout tie, Celtic find themselves in the second-tier competition, a shift that has intensified scrutiny of the club’s summer direction and internal tensions.

Supporters have remained unsettled by recent developments around the club’s hierarchy, with protests continuing outside domestic fixtures. Inside the transfer window, Brendan Rodgers has overseen changes to the squad, including the signing of Sebastian Tounekti, who is expected to make an impact on the European stage as Celtic aim to prove they can compete in the Europa League this season. The focus, however, must stay on the task at hand: making a meaningful run in Europe rather than dwelling on the disappointment of last season.

Celtic’s task in Belgrade is clear but daunting. Red Star Belgrade are a storied European club in their own right, having won the old European Cup in 1991 before the competition became the Champions League. They will travel to the group stage with a opinion of themselves as a club built to compete at Europe’s top table, and the atmosphere at the Rajko Mitic Stadium is known for testing visiting sides with a tunnel walk that can stretch up to 240 metres as players brace for the first whistle.

The landscape around Celtic’s European hopes is defined by a recent historical arc. Since the competition’s rebranding to the Europa League in 2009, Celtic have never progressed beyond the last 32. That record, among other factors, has tempered expectations within some segments of the support, but it also underlines why a strong run in this season’s group stage would carry real significance. Rodgers has urged a pragmatic approach, emphasizing growth and progression rather than chasing a Champions League berth that was elusive last season.

Celtic’s group includes Braga, Sturm Graz, Midtjylland, Feyenoord, Roma, Bologna, and Utrecht, a lineup that offers both challenges and opportunities. The early emphasis is on earning a foothold in the competition by advancing from the initial phase, with talks of a knockout-stage run buoyed by the addition of Tounekti and emerging contributor Kelechi Iheanacho, who has started to make an impact in training and early fixtures.

For Celtic, the contrast with Red Star is part of the narrative. Both clubs boast European Cup legacies, but the immediate objective is to navigate the first hurdle in Belgrade and set a tone for the months ahead. While some supporters have long expressed frustration with the club’s European programme, the practical path forward is to maximize performance in the Europa League and rebuild confidence through a competitive run.

Rodgers, alongside a squad that includes young talent such as Johnny Kenny, will look to balance ambition with realism in this campaign. A run to the knockout stages would mark a constructive shift from last season and help reframe Celtic’s European identity as a club that can compete and advance in a format many rival clubs treat as a legitimate stage for progress. If fans maintain focus on the football, seasons that begin with a strong European showing can translate into greater engagement in domestic fixtures and a renewed sense of momentum for the campaign ahead.

Even as Celtic chase a positive start, the broader conversation around the club’s direction will continue to unfold in parallel with results. The Europa League, far from a consolation prize, can serve as a platform for development and tangible success in a competition that has produced winners like Sevilla, Villarreal, and Porto in recent years. Celtic’s leadership will likely be judged on their ability to translate this group-stage opportunity into meaningful advancement, and to do so while maintaining stability within the squad and locker room.

As they prepare to step onto the Belgrade turf, Celtic will carry with them a narrative as old as European football: a club with a history of glittering moments and a current season defined by a recalibrated path. The road ahead includes multiple fixtures across Europe, but the first step is clear—secure a strong showing against Red Star and set a tone for the campaign that can alter perceptions, both inside and outside the club.