"But as we always do we will have to stick together as a squad. It's a tough one to take, but we didn't do enough over the two legs. From the first day back they've been brilliant, domestically we've started well, but at this level, even with teams that don't quite have the quality, you still need that little bit of extra finesse and precision."
"Qualification for the top-level competition brings around 18m euros (15.5m) for each club. On top of that, you can add ticket sales, merchandise, additional sponsorship and a whack of corporate cash. In comparison, dropping into the Europa League takes that 18m euros (15.5m) to just above 4m euros (3.46m). A win is worth 450,000 euros (388,000) instead of 2m euros (1.73m)."
Celtic exited Champions League qualification after losing on penalties to Kairat Almaty, leaving the club at a footballing crossroads. The club had been regular in the competition over the last three seasons and narrowly missed the knockout phase last term. The defeat ends hopes of a fourth consecutive appearance and carries major financial consequences, with Champions League participation worth around €18m plus matchday and commercial income versus roughly €4m in the Europa League. Manager Brendan Rodgers and players acknowledged the performance lacked the necessary finesse and precision at this level, and the squad faces pressure to improve.
Read at www.bbc.com
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