The Champions League is gone. No amount of wailing or gnashing of teeth, and there has been plenty, will bring it back for Celtic this season.
But all is not lost. At least, that was the message from manager Brendan Rodgers here in Belgrade tonight, who struck an altogether more positive tone than he has of late as he previewed his side’s opening match of the tournament against the team formally known as Red Star Belgrade.
Crvena Zvezda, as they are now named, will present a tough test. The Serbians, having also crashed out of the Champions League qualifiers in embarrassing circumstances to Pafos FC, have their own point to prove.
But Rodgers wants his side to show that the Europa League can still prove to be a fruitful adventure for the club, even if it isn’t where they want to be. He namechecked the run to Seville in 2003 as proof of that, though stopped short of promising a similar run to Istanbul this time around.
The overriding message though was clear – a line has been drawn under Celtic’s summer disappointment, and it is time to look to the future.
“Both clubs missed out in the final qualification games and wanted to have been in the Champions League,” Rodgers said.
“But, after the initial disappointment, we're really looking forward to this competition.
“If you look at the games we have, we’ve got some great teams, some historical teams, and it's a good challenge for us to be in it.
“So, we're over that disappointment and we're now really focused on doing well in this competition.
“That’s the plan for probably every team. But certainly, for us, we want to have a real good go at this competition.
“We were competitive in the Champions League last season, which is what we wanted to be. And likewise in this tournament here, we feel that we can – with the improvements that we will make as the season goes on but obviously starting tomorrow night – we really want to push to do as well as we can.
“We have to forget about the Champions League, that's gone,” he continued.
“We can't look back. It's very much looking forward to the future and how we can improve on the pitch.
“In 2003, that created some incredible memories for people, and that came off the back of a disappointment in qualifying.
“So yeah, it's going to be a great tournament, great games and I'm really looking forward to the coaching challenge within that, seeing the guys operate at this level, and we know that we can have a really good possibility this season to do really well.
“I haven’t really looked so far ahead. I just know that we're in a competition that I want us to do very well in. I'm not going to forecast anything of how far or how deep we can go.
“You've got to earn that right, you've got to win the games, you've got to win, that's the way it's going to start tomorrow night.”
Away wins in any European competition have proven hard to come by for Celtic, and indeed, for Rodgers. The manager has won just five of his last 30 on his continental travels, while the club hasn’t triumphed abroad since a win over Ferencvaros back in 2021.
But given the upturn in performances after Borussia Dortmund last season, Rodgers says Celtic are travelling in confident mood.
“I think there was a big learning last year,” he said.
“I think in the first year when it came back, we had some good performances in the competition that we were in, built confidence even though we'd lost a few games.
“Last year we showed that we can learn. You don't have to press every single ball that's there, you've got a few moments to press, to block the game, and then you can still play your football.
“There's no bigger example of that than the Allianz Arena. To be able to do that there, play to that level against such opposition, and the performance that we had in Atalanta, and in Zagreb, going away getting a point in the Champions League, and it was maybe a disappointment, so that really showed how much we've progressed.
“But I feel that that gives us confidence, to know that you can go in Europe, get results, good performances, and then know that your home form with the support and everything, can give you a great chance to progress.”
Around 2000 Celtic fans have made the journey to Belgrade with a mixture of hope and expectation. While they will likely make their feelings on the club’s board plain once again, Rodgers is certain that they will get behind their team when the game starts. And he believes they may need them.
“I think the supporters will have their focus on the football,” he said.
“That's one of the great things about the Celtic support. They do really get behind the team and support the team.
“There's obviously other factors going on at the moment, and I really hope that at some point in the future we all come together.
“But, as I've said many times, my job is to concentrate on the players and the team and us performing well.
“We'll get the support.”
In terms of his team selection, Rodgers has a few decisions to make, chiefly on the right side. At full back, he would have no concerns in throwing youngster Colby Donavan into what is sure to be a hostile environment, despite Anthony Ralston returning to training today.
“No, not at all,” he said.
“It's one of the things I really like about him as a young player, I think he's a great personality. I've seen that over my few years, so I really like his mindset and his ability to not worry but make a mistake.
“He just has a real strong mentality to his game, and he's improving physically.
“He’s understanding the football very well, and yeah, I have no hesitation in putting him there.”
