FC Basel will play for a place in the Champions League on Wednesday. Qualifying against Copenhagen would put millions in the champions' coffers.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- FC Basel must get Copenhagen out of the way on their way to the Champions League.
- If Basel qualify, they will receive a starting bonus of around 18 million francs.
- The first leg will take place on Wednesday. blue Sport will broadcast the match live, kick-off is at 21:00.
FC Basel will play Copenhagen for a place in the Champions League. The Champions League is not only attractive in sporting terms, but also from a financial perspective.
FC Basel must get Copenhagen out of the way on their way to the Champions League. The first leg will take place on Wednesday at St. Jakob-Park, followed by the second leg a week later at Parken Stadion (blue Sport broadcasts the matches live). If FCB make it into the top flight, around CHF 18 million will flow into the club's coffers. That is the starting fee.
In the league phase, FCB would play eight matches, with each win worth two million. A draw is worth around 660,000 francs. And then there are the ranking and value bonuses as well as the ticket revenue. This could bring the Baslers a further windfall of up to 40 million francs.
Should FCB qualify for the knockout phase, it would be even more lucrative. However, this scenario is rather unlikely. YB qualified for the league phase last season, but finished bottom of the table with 0 points.
Copenhagen is no lightweight
Copenhagen may not sound like an insurmountable hurdle, but the Danes have started the new season with four wins from five games. Last season, Copenhagen played in the Conference League, while the reigning champions qualified for the Champions League twice in the two previous years. Basel have two league wins and two defeats this season and have progressed confidently to the next round in the Cup.
The bonuses in the Europa League
What if Basel do not prevail against Copenhagen? Even then, FCB will not go away empty-handed, but will have to bake smaller rolls. FCB would then play in the Europa League. The starting fee there is around CHF 4 million, with CHF 420,000 for a win and around CHF 140,000 for a draw.
YB is also fighting for a place in the Europa League. The Bernese will face Slovan Bratislava in the play-offs. The first leg will take place on Thursday, with the tie being decided a week later in the Wankdorf.
