Celtic may have fallen agonisingly short of a place in the Champions League last 16, but their European campaign has still resulted in a record-breaking financial windfall.
The Hoops have secured £26.23m in UEFA prize money from their journey through the revamped competition, with earnings coming from qualification, match results, and their final league table placement.
Brendan Rodgers’ side earned £15.7m simply for reaching the knockout phase play-offs, having navigated the new league-stage format with some impressive performances. Victories over Slovan Bratislava, RB Leipzig, and Young Boys contributed a further £5.31m, while draws against Atalanta, Club Brugge, and Dinamo Zagreb added another £1.77m. [UEFA]
- Celtic 5-1 Slovan Bratislava – £1.77m
- Borussia Dortmund 7-1 Celtic – £0
- Atalanta 0-0 Celtic – £590k
- Celtic 3-1 RB Leipzig – £1.77m
- Celtic 1-1 Club Brugge – £590k
- Dinamo Zagreb 0-0 Celtic – £590k
- Celtic 1-0 Young Boys – £1.77m
- Aston Villa 4-2 Celtic – £0
In addition to match results, Celtic secured a 21st-place finish in the overall league standings, bringing in a further £3.4m from UEFA’s ranking-based payments.
Had Celtic held on for extra time in Munich and gone on to eliminate Bayern, they would have earned an additional £9m for reaching the last 16. However, despite the last-gasp heartbreak, this season’s financial return far exceeds recent European campaigns.
These figures do not include the substantial revenue from ticket sales, with Celtic Park packed out for every home fixture. Given the demand for Champions League nights in Glasgow, the total earnings from this campaign are expected to surpass £30m once all revenue streams are accounted for.
With a healthy financial boost, the expectation from supporters will now be investment in the squad to ensure Celtic continue competing at this level. The Hoops will now focus on securing the league title to guarantee their place in next season’s Champions League, where they will aim to build on this memorable European run.
