Rangers’ Europa League final massive for financial and recruitment reasons

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men have vanquished a catalogue of distinguished opponents to get to this stage, including two Bundesliga giants in Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig.

Had someone turned round to any person associated with Rangers and told them back in August that they would face a middling team from Germany’s top tier for a shot to win Europe’s second-tier competition, they would have been branded crazy. Yet here we are ...

There is obviously the chance for Rangers to add a piece of European silverware to the trophy cabinet to sit alongside the Cup Winners’ Cup snared in 1972 when they overcame Dynamo Moscow. There is the prestige of winning such a coveted prize. But beyond that, there is a world of riches on offer, which could alter the financial landscape for the club going forward.

Rangers have already guaranteed themselves UEFA prize money of at least £14 million from their remarkable run and they can bank on a worse-case scenario of another €4.6 million (around £4 million) which goes to the runners-up. If they lift the trophy, they will receive an additional €4 million (around £3.4 million), taking their total Europa League prize money haul to €20.76 (around £17.8 million).

But that won’t be the end of the financial bounty Rangers can anticipate if they overcome Eintracht Frankfurt.

It would also secure Rangers a place in the UEFA Super Cup final in Helsinki, Finland, on August 10, where they would face the winners of this season’s Champions League, either Liverpool or Real Madrid. Appearance prize money in that one-off match is €3.5 million (around £3 million) with a further €1.5 million (around £1.3 million) for the winners.

By far the most significant bonus for Rangers in winning the Europa League,