Revealed: Celtic on course to land £27m jackpot
Celtic are on course to secure a minimum of £27million it they secure automatic qualification for the Champions League group stage, Football Insider analysis shows.
The Hoops are already mathematically guaranteed a place in the third qualifying round as they cannot be caught by 3rd-place Hearts in the Scottish Premiership.
They are nine points clear of 2nd-place Rangers meanwhile with nine matches to go, meaning six more wins will seal the title save for a 17-goal swing.
Scotland remain in 9th place in Uefa’s five-year country coefficient ranking, so the title winners will once again go straight into the group stages next season.
There is not expected to be much movement in the Champions League’s various TV deals in 2023-24 given that it is the final year of the rights cycle.
That means each side competing in the group stage will trouser an immediate £13.7m participation fee, according to Uefa’s 2022-23 distribution data.
Uefa also awards around £528m based on its 10-year club coefficient rankings, with each of the 32 Champions League sides earning increments of £1m for each place in the table they climb.
Real Madrid were the top team in the 10-year coefficient this season so earned roughly £32m, while Viktoria Plzen were ranked bottom and trousered about £1m.
There is every chance that Celtic, who ranked 26th of the participating teams this season, will fall a few places in 2023-24.
That is because they managed to pick up just two points in this season’s group stage, and also as their run to the quarter-finals in 2012-13 will no longer count towards the 10-year coefficient.
A conservative estimate would see them ranked around 28th, meaning they would scoop a £4m share.
A sum of £57m – the highest of any country represented in the competition – is also due to be split between UK clubs thanks to the money Champions League broadcasters BT Sport contribute to the Uefa TV pool.
Scottish clubs will receive 10 per cent of that figure again in 2023-24 if six clubs (four from England, two from Scotland) qualify for the group stages.
The exact ratio could fluctuate if Chelsea qualify by winning the competition this year but finish outside the top four in the Premier League, or if Rangers fail to make it through to the play-off rounds.
But assuming a £5.7m share, half will be split based on league position, with 55 per cent going to the Scottish Premiership winners and 45 per cent to the runners-up – so Celtic will land £1.6m if they clinch the title.
The remaining half of the TV pool cash is based on progress in the competition, with both teams banking £1.4m if they exit at the group stages.
A £13.7m participation fee, £4m 10-year coefficient bonus, and £3m TV pool share will guarantee Celtic £20.7m before a ball is kicked.
They will also sell out Parkhead a minimum of three times, which our analysis shows will earn them around £6.5m, taking their guaranteed beyond £27m.
That figure could be topped up by performance-related bonuses from sponsors and from Uefa itself, with the governing body handing out £2.5m for every win and £825,000 for a draw in the competition.
In other news, ex-Fifa referee suggests how SFA can fix VAR after Rangers and Celtic controversies.