Brendan Rodgers has cheekily suggested that Dave King may be wearing a Celtic scarf tomorrow afternoon.
If the hoops manage to hold off Astana to reach the group phase of the Champions League Sevco can expect to pick up a cheque for £365,000 direct from UEFA.
Pedro Caixinha’s efforts in the Europa League saw a miserable £195,000 arrive from UEFA with the company budgeting for reaching the group stage and collecting £4m plus three bumper gates/
The cheque for £365,000 will certainly be appreciated by Hamilton Accies and Kilmarnock but after their own failures Rodgers believes that the solidarity payment from UEFA will be welcomed by Sevco, Aberdeen and St Johnstone.
“The other clubs make some great money,” the Celtic boss told The Sun. “I don’t think they would be too unhappy with us qualifying, at least the chairmen certainly won’t. Maybe they will be sitting with their Celtic scarves. You just never know.
“Listen, you have to look beyond. You guys report locally on the domestic game but you also have to think what is best for Scottish football, which is to have representation in Europe and not just Celtic, other teams as well.
“Players will grow, they will develop, they will get great experience, so you can’t be just satisfied by being okay domestically, your hunger and desire has to take you beyond that.
“If you can do that then players will be getting better and the national team will play at a better level.”
Apart from Celtic Aberdeen were the only Scottish side to get through a round of European competition this season.
Sevco lost in the first round of the Europa League to Progres Niederkorn, St Johnstone lost at the same stage to FC Traki. Aberdeen got past NK Siroki Brijeg in the second round but lost to Apolon Limassol.