Celtic have two distinct financial plans in place for whether or not they qualify for next season's Champions League, according to football finance expert Doctor Dan Plumley.
The Lowdown: Celtic closing in on title
The Hoops are enjoying a memorable season to date, with Ange Postecoglou proving to be an inspired managerial appointment last summer despite a rocky start in Glasgow.
As the season slowly reaches its conclusion, Celtic find themselves six points clear of Rangers in the Scottish Premiership title race, as well as preparing to face their arch-rivals in the Scottish Cup semi-finals.
If Postecoglou's side are crowned champions of the league they would of course qualify for the Champions League, as they look to make their mark in Europe's biggest club competition.
The Latest: Financial plan in place
Speaking to Football Insider, Plumley revealed that plans are in place at Celtic financially, in terms of them qualifying for the competition or not, as it could make a £17m difference:
"You have to be careful, of course. Celtic know near enough what their revenue will be each year because it’s almost guaranteed that you’re going to finish first or second.
"They sell out every week and they know what they’re working with. The differentiator is, of course, European football. If they win the league this year, they get automatic qualification, which is going to be worth £17m minimum.
"That makes a big difference, so they’ll have different models depending on different possibilities. Model A, they make the Champions League. Model B, they don’t. That extra money makes a big difference.
"Everything is based around those distinct models and whether you can repeat the trick and qualify year on year."
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The Verdict: Shrewd approach from Desmond
This is a really smart approach after major shareholder Dermot Desmond hinted at as much recently, ensuring the club is run in sensible fashion rather than recklessly.
The expectation should be that Celtic are in the Champions League next season, of course, but in the event that it doesn't happen, it is only right that a contingency plan is in place.
While Postecoglou and his players deserve huge praise for their performance on the pitch this season, the manner in which the club is being run as a whole is also worthy of positive reviews.
In other news, Kieran Devlin has singled out one Celtic player for praise. Find out who it is here.