What Rangers clinching Europa League glory would mean for Scottish football as cash and coefficient boosts laid bare

The last time a Rangers team competed in the group stages of the Champions League was in 2010/11.

However, their Europa League quarter-final draw against Portugese sid SC Braga has opened up the possibility of both Rangers and Celtic BOTH playing in club football’s biggest competition for the first time in 15 years.

Current manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Ibrox icon Graeme Souness have both stressed in recent weeks that Rangers are capable of winning the trophy.

If they were to do just that at the Ramon Sanxhez Pizjaun stadium in Seville on May 18 it would guarantee that two Scottish clubs were mixing with the big boys for the first time since 2007/08, when Walter Smith’s side dropped into the UEFA Cup and lost 2-0 to Dick Advocaat’s Zenit St Petersburg in the final.

The only other outcome which would prevent that happening would be if one of the Champions League quarter-finalists who are unlikely to qualify for the competition next season through their league placing wins the big cup. Valencia, who have been drawn against Bayern Munich, are the only club in that position.

A Europa League triumph would see Rangers rake in an extra £11.07m in prize money from UEFA for Rangers as well as the money-spinning guarantee of automatic qualification for the Champions League and the £35-40m revenue which goes with it.

Get all the latest Rangers news sent straight to your Inbox every day by signing up to our newsletter.

We cover every morsel of information regarding your favourite club in the form of articles, videos and podcasts.

The newsletter will arrive every day at 12pm, giving you a round up of the best stories we've covered that in the last 24 hours.

To sign up, simply enter your email address into the link here.