Celtic pitted against Robin van Persie
The financial rewards of the Europa League have been increased by Uefa this season — and there is the carrot of the winners qualifying automatically for next season’s Champions League.
Celtic’s head of operations Ronnie Hawthorn said: “I think the stature of the Europa League is growing and the competition is getting more and more difficult. It’s good for fans who wants to watch European competition but it is a tough competition these days.
“There is an increase in Europa funding — something like a 63% increase which is quite significant — and that is an important step forward for the competition, and there are lots of good groups here including our own.
“It is also an important step for the competition that the Europa winners now access the Champions League — as Sevilla have shown last season.” Celtic are back in domestic action today against St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership at Parkhead.
Mikael Lustig is almost certainly out, the Sweden right-back is still struggling with a hamstring injury.
Defender Virgil van Dijk and winger James Forrest sat out training but should be okay while striker Nadir Ciftci serves the last of his six-game domestic ban.
Spurs were drawn in Group J with Monaco, Anderlecht and FK Qarabag, who play matches in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku — a five-and-a-half hour flight from London.
Meanwhile Tottenham’s group includes meetings with Anderlecht, the Belgian side they beat on penalties in the 1984 Uefa Cup final, the last time Spurs triumphed in a European competition. Some 13 years after the final, Uefa banned Anderlecht from Europe for a year after it emerged they had bribed the referee in the semi-final against Nottingham Forest.
Liverpool’s task is also not straightforward, with games against Russian side Rubin Kazan, Bordeaux and Swiss side Sion in Group B.
Elsewhere Real Madrid coach Rafael Benitez insists his focus is on tonight’s La Liga home match against promoted Real Betis (kick-off 9.30pm) and not on the transfer market, amid speculation surrounding the arrival of Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea to the Bernabeu Stadium.
Benitez, whose side were held to a goalless draw in their Primera Division opener at promoted Sporting Gijon last week, said: “We have a game against Betis, which is the most important thing.
“I’m focused on that and I want for things to go well for us tomorrow. I’m not monitoring the market.
“We have a very good team right now, with players that can adapt to different positions.
“We are not looking at the market for anything special as we have a very balanced group. Betis are my priority.”
Tonight’s game will see Betis’ Dutch midfielder Rafael van der Vaart face his former club.
Barcelona will be bolstered by the return of Brazilian forward Neymar for tonight’s home match against Malaga (7.30pm). Neymar missed Barcelona’s Uefa Super Cup final as well as the Spanish Super Cup and last weekend’s 1-0 triumph at Athletic Bilbao after being sidelined with mumps. However, the 23-year-old, who scored 29 goals and set up seven more to help Barcelona win the Primera Division, Copa del Rey and Champions League treble last season, is fit to play.
“Neymar has a special physique,” Barcelona coach Luis Enrique said. “He gets in shape really fast.
“That opens the door for him to have the possibility of playing.”
Ajax Celtic Fenerbahce Molde
Rubin Kazan Liverpool Bordeaux FC Sion
Borussia Dortmund PAOK Salonika Krasnodar Gabala.
Napoli Club Brugge Legia Warsaw FC Midtjylland.
Villarreal Plzen Rapid Vienna Dinamo Minsk.
Marseille Braga Liberec FC Groningen.
Dnipro Lazio St Etienne Rosenberg.
Sporting Besiktas Lokomotiv Moscow Skenderbeu.
Basle Fiorentina Lech Poznan Belenenses.
Tottenham Anderlecht Monaco FK Karabakh.
Schalke 04 APOEL Sparta Prague Asteras.
Athletic Bilbao AZ Augsburg Partizan Belgrade.
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