Celtic profit from Barça triumph

FC Barcelona's victory in the UEFA Champions League final means all 16 automatic qualifiers for next season's group stage are known - with Celtic FC taking the last remaining berth.

Celtic shot
Had Arsenal FC taken the European crown, they would have been exempt from qualifying as holders. However, having finished fourth in England they must now enter the third qualifying round, and since Barcelona as Spanish champions already had a group-stage place, Scottish title-winners Celtic will grab the spare slot due to their nation's co-efficient - which will mean no repeat of the Glasgow club's qualifying defeat by FC Artmedia last summer.

Trio get byes
Barcelona's triumph is also good news for three other teams. As the holders had already booked their ticket through their domestic league, Israeli champions Maccabi Haifa FC enter the third qualifying round, with Sweden's Djurgårdens IF and the eventual Slovakian title-winners going into the second qualifying round, all one stage further than would have been the case.

Madrid relief
Real Madrid CF made sure of an automatic group-stage berth on Tuesday by pipping Valencia CF to second position in Spain. Valencia will be joined in the third qualifying round by CA Osasuna, who secured their first participation in Europe's premier club competition by beating UEFA Cup winners Sevilla FC to fourth spot.

Group stage contenders
The other sides already scheduled to be in August's group-stage draw along with Barcelona, Madrid and Celtic are: Chelsea FC, Manchester United FC, Juventus, AC Milan, Olympique Lyonnais, FC Girondins de Bordeaux, FC Bayern München, Werder Bremen, FC Porto, Sporting Clube de Portugal, PSV Eindoven, Olympiacos CFP and RSC Anderlecht. Of the 57 teams to take part in qualifying, five are yet to be confirmed as league title races are still on in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.