Celtic now know just how much money is at stake in the Champions League qualifiers which start in just three weeks time against FC Midtjylland. Even if Celtic negotiate a way past the Danish side there are still several challenging tasks ahead before the Champions League group stages are reached and the big money can be earned.
This year the 32 sides reaching th Group stages will each receive a minimum of £14m each just for qualifying. A win brings with it another £2.5m and a draw earns each club a pay-out of £800,000. On top of that there would be three sell-out matches at Celtic Park – now that fans are back from 10 August as Jason Leitch confirmed yesterday.
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – JUNE 25: New Celtic Manager Ange Postecoglou at Celtic Park, on June 25, 2021, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)
That’s likely to bring in an additional £3m then there’s the huge TV revenues that dwarf what is on offer in the other UEFA competitions.
The total sums that UEFA will distribute this season will reach £1.75billion, up from £1.67billion in the previous three years. And the winners -sadly unlikely to be Celtic – are in line for a £20m payment for lifting the Big Cup that Billy McNeill collected for Celtic in Lisbon in 1967.
These figures apply to theRangers too, who are of course heading through the slightly easier on paper Champions Route to the group stages, something that Celtic has failed to negotiate too often in recent years.
The other Scottish sides in European competition this season also have significant financial incentives to progress. League and Scottish Cup winners St Johnstone could earn £3.6 million by reaching the Europa League group stages while Aberdeen and Hibs can collect £2.5m if they get through qualifying rounds for the inaugural Conference League.
Not a hope in hell we will be in the CL.