As Rangers prepare to face Galatasaray this evening there is already plenty of incentive for the Ibrox club.
Not only will these players get at least another six matches on the European stage, but being part of European competition is essential to the identity and prestige of a club like Rangers.
Not to mention the fact that Steven Gerrard believes qualification for the competition – and the millions that come with it – could be central to completing his squad this season.
In the short-term there are plenty of reasons why the club should be more than hyped up to topple the Turkish giants.
But looking a little further into the future should Rangers beat Galatasaray the coefficient boost could provide them with a £30m domestic carrot.
That’s roughly how much Celtic made for qualifying for the UEFA Champions League group stages in 2016 [ITV] and if Rangers topple Galatasaray it will be one step closer to securing an automatic spot for Scotland in season 2022/23.
It might be two seasons away but given Rangers’ progress on Scottish soil, this is a prize which the Ibrox club could almost certainly benefit from.
Turkey currently sit just ahead of Scotland in the UEFA coefficient rankings and if Rangers can reach the group stages of the Europa League this term that would mean three of Turkey’s five representatives in European football will have been eliminated.
If both Rangers and Celtic can progress it sharply increases the chances of this happening for that season in what would be a potentially revolutionary promise of investment.
So whilst there are plenty of reasons to try make the group stages in the short-term, Rangers have extra-incentive with the promise of Champions League football sitting on the horizon.
