St Johnstone will bank a guaranteed £2.9 million if they overcome LASK to reach the Europa Conference League (UECL) group phase on Thursday.
The encounter against the Austrians is the most lucrative game in the Saintees’ history and could open the door to even further riches as the competition progresses.
Each victory in the group phase is worth £540,000, while a draw will see a not inconsequential £180,000 added to the coffers.
A further amount is forthcoming in the form of a cut of the ‘market pool’, a variable fee based on the value of a nation’s TV market — and split between the participating clubs from that country.
The group winners will bank a further £945,000, with the runners-up pocketing £470,000.
As such, if St Johnstone were to get past LASK then win all of their games in the group stage, they would have earned more than £7 million.
One can dream.
Moneys earned between match-days one and three are paid out on November 5, with match-days four to six paid out on January 4, 2022.
What if the Saints reach the knockout stage?
If St Johnstone can qualify for the group phase of a continental competition, why not go a step further?
The financial rewards keep on coming as the tournament progresses.
Qualification for the knockout playoff round is worth £430,000, a last-16 place earns £1 million and a quarter-final berth has a £1.5 million reward.
The business end of the competition sees £2.4 million paid to the semi-finalists and £3.9 million for reaching the final.
The winners of the final at the Arena Kombetare in Albania walk away with another £3.4 million.
What if the Saints are eliminated against LASK?
Even if the Saints do lose against LASK, their remarkable run to this point will not have been for nothing.
Not only will they have banked bumper gate receipts from sell-out showdowns against Galatasaray and the Austrians, but clubs eliminated at the UECL playoff round receive a one-off payment of £645,000.
St Johnstone would bank that windfall on September 10.
