Celtic could greet Linfield as crunch anticipate looms for UEFA's Red Bull dilemma

The second qualifying round of the Champions League could see Scottish title-holders Celtic visit Belfast's Linfield.
Celtic may confront a warmed experience with Linfield in the second qualifying round of the Champions League, while RB Salzburg could yet drive UEFA to prohibit sister club RB Leipzig from the competition.
Brendan Rodgers' Celtic, a club known for solid Catholic affiliations, were drawn against either La Fiorita of San Marino or Northern Ireland's Linfield, a Belfast agree with conspicuous Protestant associations. A further inconvenience for the clubs, UEFA and nearby police is the potential date of the main leg, ought to Linfield advance. The opening matches of each attach are expected to be played on July 11 or 12, the last of which frequently observes walks directed by the Ulster Protestant Orange Order. Having been drawn against Hibernians FC of Malta or Estonia's FCI Tallinn, Salzburg could likewise cause UEFA a cerebral pain.


The overseeing body's statutes keep proprietors from controlling more than one club for every season in its rivalries, with the higher positioned side in such a circumstance being given inclination. That would mean the Austrian champions could hold a place in the gathering stage, should they propel that far, to the detriment of RB Leipzig, the Bundesliga's unexpected runners-up.

UEFA were a month ago cited as saying: "All criteria, including matters of proprietorship, will be checked for each club by UEFA just once we have gotten the opposition section structures and documentation from the national football affiliations and clubs, taking after the finish of the season in the separate associations".

Champions League second qualifying round attract full:

APOEL v Dudelange
Zalgiris v Ludogorets Razgrad
Qarabag v Samtredia
Partizan v Buducnost Podgorica
Hibernians/FCI Tallinn v Salzburg
Sheriff Tiraspol v Kukes
Astana v Spartaks Jurmala
BATE Borisov v Alashkert/FC Santa Coloma
Zilina v Kobenhavn
Hapoel Beer-Sheva v Honved
Rijeka v The New Saints/Europa
Malmo v Vardar
Zrinjski v Maribor
Dundalk v Rosenborg
FH Hafnarfjordur v Vikingur/Trepça '89
Linfield/La Fiorita v Celtic
IFK Mariehamn v Legia Warszawa