(Credit: Imago/Getty Images)

James Murray

Fri 27 February 2026 16:24, UK

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Celtic missed out on a place in the last 16 of the Europa League following their knockout round play-off defeat against Stuttgart.

The damage was done in the first leg at Parkhead, where Martin O’Neill’s side suffered a crushing 4-1 loss against the Bundesliga club.

Celtic were given hope after Luke McCowan scored after just 28 seconds in the second leg on Thursday (26 February), but the game ended 1-0, handing Stuttgart a 4-2 victory on aggregate.

The German side will now face Porto in the last 16 as they look to book their place in the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

Uefa documents have revealed Celtic missed out on earning an extra £1.5million following their play-off defeat.

How much less Celtic earned in Europa League compared to Champions League

Celtic have earned considerably less from Europe this season, having performed well in the Champions League in 2024-25.

The Hoops pocketed around £38m in Champions League prize money before being knocked out by Bayern Munich in the knockout round play-offs.

The Glasgow giants received a guaranteed £3.8m from competing in the Europa League this season.

Meanwhile, Scotland’s Coefficient reported Celtic would earn £4.6m from Uefa’s value pillar system, which is split into European and non-European segments based on their coefficient ranking and the market pool.

Clubs were awarded £395,000 for each win and £132k for a draw in the league phase, meaning the Scottish champions banked just over £1.4m following their three wins and two draws.

Each team competing in the Europa League also earned an additional amount based on their individual ranking in the league phase.

Maccabi Tel Aviv were paid £66k after finishing bottom, while 21st landed Celtic just under £1.4m and an extra £263k after qualifying for the play-off round.

The Hoops also received £3.8m after losing to Kairat in the play-off round of Champions League qualification, taking their total earnings to around £15.3m from Europe this season.

• Read more: Chris Sutton can’t believe what Daizen Maeda did in Celtic’s clash vs Stuttgart

Why Champions League qualification is critical for Celtic

Celtic’s disappointing campaign in Europe will be reflected in their financial results for 2025-26.

The Hoops posted a new club-record revenue last season after their turnover surged from £124.6m in 2023-24 to £143.6m.

However, that figure is expected to fall this season due to their £23m dip in European prize money.

It makes securing Champions League qualification all the more important, with Scotland set to lose its second spot in the elite European competition.

Celtic currently sit third and six points behind leaders Hearts in the Scottish Premiership table, but they have a game in hand over the Edinburgh club.

O’Neill is now preparing his side to take on second-place Rangers in the Old Firm derby at Ibrox on Sunday (1 March).