It has been a busy few days for the Celtic FC Women’s squad who returned to pre-season training earlier this week as preparations for the 2024/25 campaign got underway.

Elena Sadiku and her squad got down to work straight away at Barrowfield, with the upcoming season on the horizon.

Having lifted the SWPL title for the first time in the club’s history last campaign, the Ghirls head into the new season as defending champions.

And with that honour also comes UEFA Champions League football and a place in the Champions Route of qualifying, with the draw for the first round of the competition taking place today (Friday, July 5) at 12noon.

Not only was last season a historic one for the Hoops on the domestic stage but also on the continent.

Kelly Clark’s winning goal in the 1-0 win over Brondby proved the club with its first ever European victory, and the Ghirls will be aiming to add to that come September.

So as the Celts gear up for another European campaign, here is a rundown of all you need to know ahead of this afternoon’s draw.

How the draw works

Entering as part of the Champions Path, the Celts will either be drawn in one of 10 four-team groups or one three-team group.

These ties will first of all be played as one-legged semi-final matches, with the winners going on to face-off in the final, with a place in the second round of qualifying up for grabs, whilst both losing teams will also take part in a third-placed play-off.

With the draw taking place on Friday at 12noon, the Hoops will enter in Pot Two as one of 21 unseeded teams and will be drawn against one of seeded sides for their semi-final tie (full list of seeded and unseeded teams below).

The semi-final ties will take place on September 4, with the final and third-placed matches taking place just three days later.

The host of all four matches will also be confirmed at a later date.

Seeded teams

Benfica
SKN St.Polten
WFC BIIK-Shymkent
FC Twente
KFF Vllaznia
Valerenga
FC Vorskla Poltava
Apollon FC
RSC Anderlecht
Valur
SFK 2000 Sarajevo
Ferencvaros
Servette
ZNK Mura
FC Gintra
FC Dinamo-BSUPC
PAOK
FK Breznica
Racing FC Union Luxembourg
KFF Mitrovica
KuPS Kuopio
ZNK Osijek

Unseeded Teams

Birkirkara FC
RFS Women
Tallinna
FC Qiryat Gat
Celtic FC Women
Agarista CSF Anenii Noi
WFC Lanchkhuti
FC NSA Sofia
Kl Klaksvik
FC Nordsjaelland
Spartak Myjava
Peamount United
Glentoran
ZFK Ljuboten
ZFK Crvena Zvezda
Cardiff City
Pogon Szczecin
FCV Farul Constanta
Galatasaray
Pyunik Women
Neftci PFC

UEFA Women’s Champions League Round One draw: All you need to know