The 1-0 victory over Ilves at Rujevica provides a solid foundation, and advancing to the Conference League group stage would bring Rijeka earnings they could only dream of at Rujevica.
Rijeka's footballers are facing a match that will largely define not only their European journey but also the club's finances. By reaching the third qualifying round of the Conference League, they have already secured €350,000, but the real financial calculation is yet to come and depends on the outcome of the tie against Finnish side Ilves, as reported by 24sata.
Rijeka secured a narrow 1-0 victory in the first leg at Rujevica, giving them an advantage ahead of the return match. However, if they are eliminated by the Finnish representative, UEFA will pay them, in addition to the already earned €350,000 for reaching this round, additional fees. For merely participating in this qualifying round, they receive €175,000, and the elimination bonus amounts to €550,000.
Adding it all up, in the scenario of elimination by Ilves, Rijeka would conclude their European campaign this season with total earnings of €900,000.
If they overcome Ilves and reach the Conference League play-offs, where they would face the winner of the Bohemian - Midtjylland tie, an additional €175,000 will be credited to their account. However, if their journey ends in that stage, they will also receive an elimination bonus of €750,000.
In that case, Rijeka's total earnings would rise to €1.1 million, already a significant jump compared to elimination in the qualifying round.
The biggest financial boost comes from reaching the Conference League group stage. Simply being among the 36 clubs is worth €3.17 million. When adding the fees for all three qualifying rounds played, Rijeka would secure a minimum of €3.67 million.
This amount does not include additional revenue from UEFA's value pillar, bonuses for qualification, or performance bonuses. Each victory in the group stage brings an additional €400,000, while a draw is worth €133,000, opening the door for even greater earnings.
