As Rangers prepare for yet another massive test in the Champions League qualifiers, we have to give Russell Martin his due. Russell Martin’s Rangers miracle is on!
YES, we are about to produce a positive (ish) piece on Martin, because whether by hook or by crook, luck or design, Rangers are 180 minutes away from an astonishing £40M jackpot in the Champions League.
Hammered
We know this team will get absolutely hammered in the competition proper – we don’t care.
We need the money to build for the next manager, because Russell Martin sure as heck won’t be trusted with big cash in January or next summer given the mince he and Kevin Thelwell have signed this window.
So if Martin can kindly secure that £40M (and rising) for the next manager, we will hold our hands up with a modest nod of approval.
Critical
The UCL jackpot is critical. We can’t underline any more how vital it is. It has potential to close up to £60M if all payments are maximised.
£18M base for being there, £12M for gate receipts, £20M for coefficient payment, £5M TV, and £500,000K for a draw plus £1.5M for each win.
That is a potential total of… £55M before the performance bonuses kick in.
This is club-changing cash and dwarves the pennies in the Europa League. Russell Martin’s Rangers miracle is stark.
So regardless of how hopeless Martin has been, somehow he’s lucking out and getting us closer than Philippe Clement did. We’ve only been in two UCL playoffs since 2012. Won one (with Gio) and lost one (with Beale). Martin could join Gio if he can pull this off.
Bruge? We’ll look at them in another entry but this would be a massive result, giant.
We hope he does it and gives the next manager a fighting chance.