Big difference in prize money for the two competitions.
Celtic face Austrian Champions LASK tonight in the first leg of their Champions League Playoff for a place in the group stages of this year’s competition. A victory over two legs would be huge for Celtic and result in a massive payday ahead of some blockbuster ties this season.
There are a couple of scenarios the club could find themselves in depending on how the tie plays out. We discuss both of them below.
What happens if Celtic beat LASK?
If Celtic win the tie, they will qualify for the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League league phase.
There they will play against the elite of Europe over eight one off ties. Four at home and Four away. Celtic stand to make a guaranteed £16 million from UEFA, with an additional £1.8 million for a win or £600,000 for a draw. Celtic will also keep ticket sales money for the four home ties. Football finance expert Kieran Maguire told BBC that Celtic made more than £40 million the last time the club were in the Champions League group stages in 24/25.
What happens if Celtic lose to LASK?
If Celtic lose the playoff tie against Austrian Champions LASK then they drop into the league phase of this year’s Europa League. Here they will also play eight one off games in the same format as the Champions League. However, the prize money and level of opponent is quite different.
Celtic would stand to make a guaranteed £3.7 million if they qualified for the Europa group stage. Then there is an additional £386k for a win and £129k for a draw. So the difference in prize money is considerable.
Are Celtic guaranteed group European football this season?
Yes.
Depending on whether they beat LASK or not, Celtic are guaranteed to be playing in group stage football either in the Champions League or the Europa League this season. There is no scenario where Celtic can miss out or drop down into the Conference League.
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