Celtic already know what is at stake in qualifying for the Champions League as they prepare for their play-off fixtures with LASK on August 18 and 25. The Bhoys were knocked out of the play-offs last season, leaving them to compete in the Europa League.
Martin O'Neill, who wasn't in charge last summer, does not want another Champions League elimination, and the club are now looking to protect their chances of advancing against the Austrian champions.
Celtic' summer business has left a lot to be desired, with only two players signed and failures across the board. But they are at least looking out for themselves by refusing to sell Alistair Johnston before the play-offs amid interest from Everton, while they may drag out the Arne Engels situation for the same reason, although West Ham are yet to reach the midfielder's asking price.
The difference in prize money between Champions League and Europa League
Part of Celtic's Johnston calculation is the difference between money in qualifying for the Champions League versus dropping into the Europa League.
If Celtic qualify for the Champions League, they will receive £15.97million, and that adds to the £3.67million they have already bagged for reaching the play-off round.
In comparison, the prize money for reaching the Europa League league phase is £3.7million, meaning a difference of £12.27million. The differences only widen from there. Teams in the league phase of the Champions League earn £1.8million for every win and around £600,300 for every draw, while Europa League teams get £390,000 per win and around £128,600 for every draw in the league phase.
There are also bonuses based on where a team finishes in the league phase, which are higher for those who finish 1st to eighth, and a lower amount for those who finish 8th to 16th, while there is no bonus below that due to those teams being eliminated.
Celtic's transfer stance makes sense
Those bonuses are also significantly different, while it's a similar case for reaching the knockouts, with significant differences between the prize money for reaching each knockout stage, but for now, Celtic's only aim is reaching the league phase.
And the difference in numbers, which don't include the potential for increased commercial revenue, do go some way in explaining why it is worth Celtic's while to hold onto key players until after those play-offs.
Failure to qualify for the Champions League would mean a big reduction in revenue, and the actual prize money is only the starting point.
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