Celtic have secured their spot in the Champions League knockout play off after a dramatic victory over Young Boys on Wednesday night in Glasgow.
The Hoops clinched the three points they desperately needed against the struggling Swiss champions to secure their place in the top 24 of the revamped league format. The victory also keeps their slim hopes of advancing straight into the last 16 ahead of next week's highly anticipated Battle of Britain at Aston Villa - with a top-eight finish still a possibility.
This marks another significant achievement for the manager Brendan Rodgers, who had never advanced beyond the group stages during either of his two tenures at Parkhead. The Northern Irishman set out to rejuvenate Celtic's European performance after a decade of mediocrity in continental competition, and Rodgers has delivered on his promise this season - with his only setback being the 7-1 defeat at Borussia Dortmund.
After breaking their transfer record twice in the summer, Celtic's impressive European run could add even more funds to next season's budget as the Scottish champions aim to compete against the elite. The wealthy Glasgow giants have already earned a substantial windfall from their European journey so far, but another staggering jackpot could be on the horizon.
Champions League prize money, reports the Daily Record..
How much have Celtic banked so far?
Considering the above figures, the Celts have already made a substantial amount from this year's revamped competition. The Hoops earned £15.7million just from qualifying and supplemented their prize money with performance-related bonuses.
Victories over Slovan Bratislava, RB Leipzig and Young Boys boosted the coffers by a neat £5.31m, while draws against Atalanta, Dinamo Zagreb and Club Brugge added another £1.77m to the pot - a total of £7.08m.
As it stands, the Scottish champions are guaranteed at least £22.78m, but that final figure will increase as it doesn't include ticket sales - or progression into the knockouts.
What is the value of the Champions League play-offs?
Celtic will receive a tidy £843k just for reaching the playoffs. However, if they advance further and reach the last 16, they could pocket a staggering £9.3m.
The Treble-chasers will also be due another significant sum from UEFA depending on their final position, which will be determined at Villa Park on Wednesday January 29. Each position in the table is worth £232k, meaning the club that finishes 36th will earn that amount with an additional £232k added for every higher ranking after all eight matches.
As Rodgers' men will at least finish somewhere between 9th and 24th, the additional bonus will range from £3m and £6.51m.
How does that compare to Rangers' Europa league earnings?
Old Firm rivals Rangers started out in the Champions League and received a fixed payment of €4.29m for their participation in those qualifying stages, despite their defeat to Dynamo Kyiv.
Now in the Europa league, Rangers will earn €450,000 (£379,201) per win, €150,000 (£126,400) per draw and £0 for a defeat. That is well down on the Champions League, where they could have earned €2.1m (£1.7m) per win and €700k (£584k) per draw.
Should Rangers end the league phase in any of the top eight positions, they will receive an additional €600k (£500k) bonus. If they are ranked between ninth and 16th will receive €300k (£250k).
Should Clement’s side qualify for the last 16 and/or further knockout phases of the Europa League, they will earn:
Round of 16: €1.75m (£1.47m) per club
Quarter-finals: €2.5m (£2.11m) per club
Semi-finals: €4.2m (£3.54m) per club
Participation for UEL final: €7m (£5.90m)
Winners: An additional €6m, so €13m in total (£10.95m).
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