SCOTLAND'S European hopefuls find out their opponents in the qualifying draws for the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League today. Celtic are first up in the Champions League draw today, with the Scottish championsseeded alongside the likes of Steaua Bucharest, APOEL, BATE Borisov, Ludogorets, Dinamo Zagreb, Maribor, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Lech Poznan. Scottish Cup winners Inverness Caledonian Thistle will find out who they face in their European debut in the second round of the Europa League. Meanwhile Aberdeen and St Johnstone are in the first-round draw. What time does the Champions League draw start today? It all begins at 11am GMT (12noon Central European Time) - although we might have a few pleasantries, highlight packages and just a few awkward moments as the presenters try and fill some of their time on stage. What time does the Europa League draw begin? The UEFA Europa League first qualifying round draw will be made at 13.00CET (12noon our time) with the second qualifying round draw at 14.30CET (which is 1.30pm for us). Where is the draw taking place? Nyon in Switzerland. The fat cats get their jaunt to Monaco when the Group Stages are drawn. But when are the games actually played? The Champions League first qualifying round first leg is set for June 30/July 1. The second qualifying round of the Champions League is on July 14/15. What about the Europa League? That starts July 2 with the second legs a week later. The second qualifying rounds are played July 16 and 23. And what about the finals? The finals? You're getting a bit carried away with yourself are you not? The Champions League final is on May 28 at the San Siro in Milan. The Europa League final is on May 18 at St Jakob-Park, Basel. ----------------------------- The first 2 rounds should be easy enough - pre-season friendlies. Celtic need a signing or two soon to get them bedded in time for the last tie as the final qualifying knock out round will be tricky. Maybe Scepovic will get going in pre-season, saving cash and teh hunt for a Striker.
BATE Borisov v Dundalk FC HJK Helsinki v FK Ventspils FC Midtjylland v Winner first qualifying round tie 1 Molde FK v Winner first qualifying round tie 3 Malmö FF v FK Žalgiris Vilnius Celtic v Stjarnan
There's a Stjarnan, waiting in the sky, he'd like to come and meet us but he thinks he'd blow our minds.
Derek McInnes says Aberdeen's Europa League draw - a qualifier against Croatian outfit HNK Rijeka should they beat KF Shkendija of Macedonia - is "probably the toughest we could've got".
"Today we asked our defence to play like St Mirren to make up for stealing their club shop" John Collins
I like to surf the net while having my croissant and coffee on the veranda of a morning. Hardly qualifies as a **** life. Being a sad, lonely fellow for the rest of your natural existence due to a horrible facial disfigurement, now that is certainly "a **** life"
