Ronny Deila wants Celtic to use the Europa League as preparation for their Champions League assault next season.
The Parkhead club kick-off their group campaign in the competition this week when they travel to take Salzburg.
Deila knows Europe’s secondary tournament doesn’t come remotely close to matching the glamour and razzmatazz of the Champions League.
But the Norwegian wants his new-look team to use the experience of playing European football to help them cut it with the big-boys next term.
He said: “That is the main thing. We need to use this experience to be really ready for next year.
“We also have to do everything we can to win the League. That is a big thing, the biggest thing. It’s what we live for.
“But we want to use the Europa League to help provide the players with experience of playing European football and, hopefully, next season the experience we will gain this season will prove beneficial.”
Although wanting to use it to provide essential European experience for another crack at the Champions League the following year, Deila is adamant he is taking the Europa League serious.
When it was suggested many dismiss the competition, the Celtic boss said: “Not me. I think there are good matches and good teams.
“The people who come to Celtic Park will see good opponents and good games. That’s the reason people go to the stadium and we hope we can get a very good atmosphere and produce good performances in the Europa League.
“It’s very hard to say how far we can go. We have to see how much we develop but what I can say is that we have a good chance to go through from the group.
“That is what we will work hard for and then, you never know. In cups, you never know what will happen.”
Deila is looking forward to facing a Salzburg side on Thursday night he believes will play the same style of football he is trying to introduce at Celtic.
“They’ve worked a lot of years on this system and their coach ended up going to Bayer Leverkusen,” he said. “You can see how they’re doing now as well, they’re doing well with a very aggressive and hard-pressing team.
“I’ve never been but they’re a good team who have used a lot of money to invest in young players and build a good side.
“I think they were also very disappointed not to be in the Champions League that was the main target for them.”
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