Brendan Rodgers vows Celtic can smash through Champions League glass ceiling for last-eight place

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Brendan Rodgers insists Celtic must focus on reclaiming their Scottish crown before dreaming of another battle with the kings of Europe.

The proud Parkhead gaffer has returned to Glasgow after watching his side push German giants Bayern Munich to the brink in their Champions League play-off clash. The Bundesliga big guns edged through 3-2 on aggregate but only after Alfonso Davies pounced in the 94th minute to snatch an equaliser for a 1-1 draw on the night.

It was a brutal punch to the stomach for the brave Hoops but the performance has already whetted the appetite for the Celts support for next year’s campaign. But Rodgers is refusing to shift his focus with this year’s job still to be finished. The Irishman, who takes his team to Easter Road looking to build on their 13-point Premiership lead, said: “Listen, I don't want to start talking about qualifiers for Champions League. We're not a champion yet. So we've got a lot of work to do in the league.

“We've got the games that we have left, so we have to finish the season strong. But Champions League, Europa League, whatever, the plans are well underway and there's a lot of work going on to improve our score.”

Rodgers, though, firmly believes his side have now proved with this season’s Euro exploits they can compete with the continental elite. And he is backing his team to march on further next time round despite not having the spending power to match some rivals in Europe’s top five leagues.

He said: “Yes, I think there are financial levels that we can never get to. That's clear. People talk about going to the next level. But that's always going to be a challenge for a club like ourselves or clubs without the finances of the really elite clubs.

“But we can certainly get to the next stage. And the next stage being what we've shown this season with the level of game that we can play and the confidence that you gain, because that's the big thing at this level, having the confidence to go to the Allianz Arena and play that way. So that will give the players a huge lift of confidence.

“And there's no reason then why, if you can qualify out of these group stages and perform like we did, then there's no reason why you can't then move on to a last-16 or a quarter-final. But that's all obviously part of the plan going forward, hopefully.”

Rodgers admitted nights like Tuesday’s thriller at the Allianz Arena was the big draw when he decided to return to Glasgow in the summer of 2023. But asked if they could also be the kind of occasion that would persuade him to stay beyond the remaining 18 months of his Celtic contract, the former Liverpool and Leicester boss said: “To be fair, we've not really had any conversation around that.

“I think that we look at what's the very best thing for Celtic, above any individual. It will always be about what's right for Celtic. But certainly when I came back, domestically my record was Ok and I knew to become better in Europe, I needed a stronger squad.

“The club have been fantastic that way in terms of providing that. We've now shown what we can do, all all within the finances of the club. Hopefully going forward we can continue to push that way so we can keep becoming a seasonal team at that level and challenging.

“In terms of the length of me staying, I'm obviously very happy here. But it will always be what's best for Celtic. But in this moment in time, the real focus is finishing the season as strong as we can.”

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