I think Peter Lawwell and Celtic are absolutely right to fight the proposed changes to the Champions League all the way, and I was happy to see them carrying the fight to Switzerland during the week for an expanded tournament.

The competition has brought so much to Celtic historically, and continues to bring so much to the club in the present. And Celtic, don’t forget, have contributed to the tournament themselves and will hope to continue to do so both on the field and off it through the incredible support they have both home and away.

Some of the most famous and illustrious names in world football was lyrical about the magical atmosphere at Celtic Park on those famous European nights under the lights, and it would be a huge body blow for the supporters if those sort of occasions were consigned to the past.

But it’s not just about Celtic, I think the heritage of the competition also has to be taken into account and these changes will also affect other famous clubs throughout the continent as well. How could Ajax, a club who have won the trophy three times and are synonymous with some of the most famous moments in the history of the competition, potentially be frozen out in the future just because they come from a smaller country?

Ok, we all know that the big countries like England, Spain, Germany and Italy can maybe dictate policy to an extent, but I don’t think they can be allowed to monopolise it.

They already have four places and they are going for more, but I think they have a fair deal as it is. It is only right and proper that you spread it across the smaller financial leagues.

I’m not only saying that because Celtic are involved, I’m saying that from a fairness point of view.

With what it brings to Celtic financially and also from a prestige point of view though, I’d be surprised if the club were doing anything but trying to protect their access to a competition that brings the elite sides in Europe to our country.

If you look at the World Cup, they are expanding the tournament and it’s seen as a positive thing to spread it to the smaller nations, and I think the same sort of logic should apply to the Champions League.

It’s not as if these clubs are applying for parity with the giants and asking for four places, they are just looking for a little fairness to be applied and to not be frozen out of what has been a terrific showcase for the entire continent over the years.

I hope that the concerns of smaller nations like ours are heard, and it’s great to see that Celtic are ahead of the game on this and striving to safeguard their interests.

It’s obviously still difficult for Celtic to make a serious dent in the later stages of the Champions League given the financial disparity that exists between them and the rest, and it is unlikely that the gap will ever be bridged. But Brendan Rodgers’ side showed enough during this season’s group stages to suggest that they will improve further again. And should make a better fist of qualifying for the knockout stages should they make it that far.

Celtic still have to strive to play in the group stages full stop though, and that is hard enough as it is. Last summer, two of the games were on a knife-edge, particularly the one in Israel.

They fought so hard and got their reward, and they will have to go through all that again. It shows how much Champions League football means to the club and it would be terrible if they were to be discarded along with the Dutch clubs and Belgian teams for example.

The importance of being in the Champions League from a fan’s point of view and from a financial point of view is huge, and it also contributes massively to the improvement of the players. It means so much right across the board.

As alluded to by Erik Sviatchenko during the week, the club have been preparing for the Champions League qualifiers this summer from the minute they were eliminated last year. The signing of Kouassi Eboue demonstrates that.

I’m sure Celtic will be spending a lot of time trying to source other players early in the summer as well, or as early as they can do.

There is no doubt that the chance to play in the Champions League is a huge chip for the club to play in terms of attracting players, and it must have played a major part in Brendan Rodgers agreeing to come to Scotland to manage, even though he is a Celtic fan.

So, it is to be hoped that the protestations of clubs like Celtic are heard within UEFA, for the club’s sake as well as for the competition's.