Rangers one step closer to £13m+ boost after unexpected UEFA development
Rangers are one step closer to a cash boost of over £13million following Genk’s surprise exit from the Champions League.
The Mirror reported in September 2022 that Champions League group stage qualifiers would receive £13.48million for reaching the group stage and following Genk’s shock exit Rangers could be in pole position for the prize money.
The Belgian Pro League runners-up lost on penalties to Swiss side Servette to see them exit the premier European tournament before they could qualify for the group stages.
Michael Beale’s team will now benefit by playing a lower-ranked side in the third qualifying round, meaning they have a great chance of qualifying for the group stage, should they defeat the Swiss runners-up and their fourth-round opponents.
If they are successful they will likely earn more than the £13.48million offered last season as a starting fee from UEFA for participating in the tournament.
While this massive financial boost would cover many of their latest additions, the club will really be hoping to improve on their last Champions League group stage outing.
Beale himself expressed the importance of the club getting to the group stages when he said on 8 July that the club must go “hell for leather to get in the Champions League.”
The Gers has a dismal European campaign in sharp contrast to their Europa League final just months before. They finished with no points, just two goals and a -22 goal difference. While they did face three elite European sides in Ajax, Liverpool and Napoli, such an embarrassing run may have motivated such an active summer window.
Now Ibrox looks set for a much more convincing Champions League performance after the additions of European-pedigree players such as Danilo and Cyriel Dessers.
However, there is still work to be done and Servette will want qualification as badly as Rangers do. With the fixture set to play out on 9 August, uncomfortably between the Gers’ season opener against Kilmarnock on the 5th and their first home fixture against Livingston on the 12th.
The season has barely begun and Beale already has fixture congestion on his mind. But the Servette fixture will play most heavily on his mind. He will want a convincing win at home against the Swiss side to send a message that Rangers are not the same club as last year.
But fans will be hopeful of a good European campaign, but Rangers must avoid Genk’s shocking fate to get there at all.
In other Rangers news, the Gers’ title-winning ace is set to depart soon amid interest from half-a-dozen European sides.