Rangers take on Lyon in their opening 2021/22 Europa League fixture at Ibrox on Thursday and there’s substantial UEFA prize money on offer.
The Gers missed out on the riches of the Champions League, crashing out in QR3 to Swedish champions Malmo.
However, they bounced back to defeat Alashkert in their Europa League playoff and as a result, secured a €3.63m (£3.11m) reward for qualifying for the group stages [UEFA].
While hardly an incredible sum, it’s more than the club received in transfer sales during the summer window and there’s further cash up for grabs each time they take to the pitch in Group A.
This season, a win during the group stages is worth €630,000 (£539k), while a draw would bring a reward of €210,000 (£180k).
Therefore, if Steven Gerrard’s side can pull off another high-profile European victory over Lyon on Thursday night, an extra half a million pounds will be pumped into the club, before taking ticket sales into account.
That’s the short-term goal for the Light Blues, but a medium-term one will be to progress to the knockout stages of the competition.
If they can manage that, it will bring additional financial rewards.
If the Gers top Group A, they will receive a bonus payment of €1,100,000 (£941k), while if they finish as runners-up, their bonus will be €550,000 (£470k).
Ahead of Rangers’ opening fixture, they have edged ahead of Leicester and streaked clear of two other British clubs in a big UEFA poll.