Celtic Europa League draw delivers Benfica reunion, Seville memories and one incredible away trip

Celtic’s Europa League opponents have been confirmed, and there is far more to this draw than simply eight football matches.

Martin O’Neill’s side will welcome Marseille, Ferencváros, Celta Vigo and Beşiktaş to Celtic Park.

The four away games are against Benfica, Union Saint-Gilloise, Omonia and Portuguese second-tier cup winners Torreense.

Some names bring back wonderful Celtic memories. Others reopen old wounds. One away trip, meanwhile, is unlike almost anything Celtic have experienced in Europe.

Celtic Europa League opponents bring history back to Paradise

Marseille will provide one of the glamour nights at Celtic Park.

The former European champions have surprisingly never faced Celtic competitively. Olivier Ntcham provides one obvious connection after leaving Celtic for Marseille on loan in 2021.

Ferencváros, however, require no introduction.

The Hungarians produced one of Celtic’s most painful qualifying defeats when they won 2-1 at an empty Celtic Park in 2020.

Celtic responded the following season by beating them home and away in the Europa League.

Former Celtic striker Robbie Keane also managed Ferencváros, adding another interesting connection between the clubs.

Then there is Celta Vigo.

For supporters who remember the road to Seville, that name immediately means something.

Martin O’Neill’s Celtic defeated Celta 1-0 at Parkhead in 2002 before losing 2-1 in Spain.

John Hartson’s priceless away goal sent Celtic through as the Hoops continued an unforgettable European adventure.

That journey eventually finished with tens of thousands of Celtic supporters descending on Seville for the UEFA Cup final.

More than two decades later, Celta are coming back to Celtic Park.

Completing the home fixtures are Turkish giants Beşiktaş.

Their support is among the loudest in European football, although Celtic will thankfully meet them in Glasgow rather than Istanbul.

Interestingly, Beşiktaş also reached the latter stages of the UEFA Cup during Celtic’s famous 2002/03 campaign.

Celtic Europa League away games contain fascinating connections

The standout away fixture is surely Benfica.

These two European Cup winners have considerable history.

Their remarkable 1969 tie finished 3-3 on aggregate after Celtic won 3-0 in Glasgow before losing by the same score in Lisbon.

With penalty shootouts not yet being used, Celtic incredibly progressed after a coin toss.

There are modern links too.

Jota came through Benfica’s academy before becoming a hugely popular Celtic player, while Paulo Bernardo followed the same Benfica-to-Celtic route.

Union Saint-Gilloise offer another fascinating storyline.

The Belgian club’s remarkable modern rise was closely associated with Tony Bloom and the recruitment model also seen at Brighton.

Bloom later reduced his ownership stake, with Alex Muzio becoming Union’s majority owner.

Given Bloom’s subsequent involvement with Hearts, there is an obvious Scottish football subplot surrounding this fixture.

Then comes Omonia and another familiar Celtic name.

Neil Lennon managed the Cypriot club in 2022, winning their domestic cup and taking them into the Europa League.

Finally, there is arguably the strangest opponent of them all.

Torreense are a Portuguese second-tier club playing in the Europa League.

They reached Europe after producing a sensational Portuguese Cup triumph, beating Sporting CP in the final despite failing to win promotion from Liga Portugal 2.

Their own stadium is tiny by European standards, meaning Celtic’s game is set to be staged at the much larger Estádio Municipal de Leiria.

From European royalty in Lisbon to one of the competition’s biggest underdog stories, Celtic have been handed a wonderfully varied Europa League campaign.

There are old scores to settle, great memories to revisit and some very difficult nights ahead.

After the disappointment of missing out on the Champions League, Celtic now have eight fascinating opportunities to make their mark in Europe.

Key Takeaways

• Celtic face Marseille, Ferencváros, Celta Vigo and Beşiktaş at Celtic Park.
• Benfica, Union Saint-Gilloise, Omonia and Torreense are the four away opponents.
• Celta Vigo were part of Celtic’s famous road to Seville in 2002/03.
• Celtic and Benfica share more than half a century of European history.
• Union SG have a fascinating historical connection with Tony Bloom.
• Neil Lennon previously managed Omonia.
• Torreense reached Europe despite playing in Portugal’s second tier.