Celtic have failed to reach the knockout stages of the Champions League since 2013.
Brendan Rodgers' side entered the tournament this season as bottom seeds. They were placed in a group with Barcelona, Manchester City and Borussia Monchengladbach, and finished bottom of Group C.
Since 2008, Celtic have been placed in the bottom rung of seeds in the group stages, but that looks set to change next year, provided the Scottish champions navigate their way through the qualification rounds, according to the Daily Record.
Due to their co-efficient, Celtic will enter the tournament in the Second Qualifying Round, like they did this season, where they lost the first leg to Lincoln Red Imps. Rodgers' side will need to navigate their way through three rounds to reach the group stages.
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Congratulations to Brendan and the Bhoys, Celtic Football Club are #6inarow Champions of Scotland! pic.twitter.com/O6Cxtn7bLN
— Celtic Football Club (@celticfc) April 2, 2017
With a co-efficient of 42.785, it looks enough to guarantee the team, a place in the third group of seeds next season. Borussia Monchengladbach were the lowest ranked third seeds in this year's competition with a ranking of 42.035.
The Champions League winners, along with the seven domestic champions from UEFA's top seven leagues, are guaranteed top-seeding. From there, the seeds are ranked by their co-efficient.
Currently ranked 47th in UEFA's rankings, Celtic lie behind the likes of Schalke, Villarreal and AC Milan. Those teams along with many others ranked above the Parkhead giants will not qualify for the competition, improving Celtic's chances.
This season, Celtic were the top-ranked bottom seed in the draw, and they only took a point from their matches against Monchengladbach. With one less higher seed to navigate through next season, Rodgers will hope the glorious European nights may return to Celtic Park soon.
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