Newcastle United are going to be in the Champions League next season, where they will test themselves up against Europe’s elite.
The 2023/24 Champions League is already starting to take shape, with multiple teams already booking their place in the competition.
Newcastle are currently joined by English clubs Manchester City and Arsenal, while the likes of Barcelona and Napoli have also already qualified for the next UCL.
Another side that will be in the competition is Celtic, who won this season’s Scottish Premiership. They will automatically join Newcastle in the group stage, meaning the two sides could potentially face each other.
And that is a prospect that Hoops boss Ange Postecoglu is very keen on.
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Postecoglu would love to meet Newcastle in the Champions League
The Celtic manager has been speaking to the media, and was asked about his team possibly coming up against Newcastle United next season.
“Yeah, that would be nice,” he said.
“Knowing the passions of both sets of supporters, those would be two games nobody would want to miss out on – home and away. There would be an unbelievable atmosphere at both.”
Postecoglu also praised the work of Eddie Howe, who was close to becoming Celtic manager in 2021.
“I absolutely admire the job Eddie has done at Newcastle,” he said.
“You can see why this football club wanted him to take charge here. He’s a very impressive person, as well as a manager. He has done an unbelievable job and I also felt he did a great job at Bournemouth.
“Eddie has worked his way up, he has done all the hard bits you need to do as a manager. He has had to earn everything along the way. It’s great for Eddie and for Newcastle that they are back in the Champions League. It’s a big club that hasn’t enjoyed a lot of success recently, so it’s great to see them back in there.”
What an atmosphere it would be if Newcastle played Celtic
Qualifying for the Champions League means there will be at least three special nights inside St James’ Park next season.
The atmosphere has been brilliant since the change of ownership, and it will only intensify with the return of European nights on Tyneside.
Our home form is going to be pivotal, as the atmosphere created inside St James’ Park could give us an edge against some of the best teams around.
That is something Celtic have benefitted from. They have witnessed many special European nights at Celtic Park, where their side turns into a different beast. That is why the prospect of a Newcastle vs Celtic is very exciting.
The two sides have not played against each other since 2007, when they competed in a friendly at St James’ Park that the Magpies won 4-1. There was also a meeting in 2006, when Celtic arrived on Tyneside for Alan Shearer’s testimonial.