Celtic’s €1.75 million UEFA incentive from VfB Stuttgart contest

Martin O’Neill’s men successfully navigated the league phase and have now been drawn against VfB Stuttgart, with the opening leg scheduled for tomorrow night.

Progressing further in the competition for the Hoops would unlock another significant financial boost for the Scottish champions.

Unlike the league phase, where clubs were rewarded €450,000 for a win and €150,000 for a draw, the latter rounds of the tournament only offer payments for qualification.

As a result, Celtic would NOT earn any further performance-related income if they exit the tie, regardless of results across the two matches. However, a place in the last 16 against either Porto or Braga next month would bring in a further €1.75 million from UEFA.

In other news, Belgian referee Erik Lambrechts has been selected to take charge of the contest.

He will be supported by assistants Mathias Hillaert and Kevin Monteny, with Jasper Vergoote acting as fourth official. VAR responsibilities will fall to Bram Van Driessche, while Dutch official Pol van Boekel has been appointed as the AVAR.

It will be the first occasion Lambrechts has taken charge of a Celtic fixture, although he has previously been at the centre of a high-profile moment involving Liam Scales at international level. The Irish defender was sent off during the 2024 meeting between England and the Republic of Ireland after receiving two yellow cards from the Belgian official.

England went on to record a commanding 5-0 victory after Scales conceded a penalty following his second caution, at a time when the match was still goalless. His initial booking came after what many viewed as a minimal challenge on Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham.

Lambrechts also oversaw the latest Ibrox club’s Europa League encounter with Manchester United at Old Trafford last season.

Conor Spence