If Aberdeen beat Hearts at Tynecastle it could land the biggest financial windfall from a game since Darren Mackie’s £1 million goal against Dnipro.
Mackie famously netted in the 1-1 draw with the Ukrainians in 2007 to secure UEFA Cup group stage qualification.
If Aberdeen triumph in Edinburgh at the weekend, it will secure a third-placed finish – if fifth-placed Hibs also fail to beat Rangers.
Finishing third could bring riches far in excess of the £1m secured by Mackie’s iconic diving header.
Should the Reds finish third, it would propel Barry Robson’s side into the Europa League play-offs (provided Celtic, and not Caley Thisle win the Scottish Cup).
Winning the two-legged play-off would land a bumper £3.2m Uefa prize and Euro group stage action until December.
Lose the play-off and the Dons would drop into the Europa Conference League groups with a £2.8m payment, and still have group action until almost Christmas to look forward to.
It is a win-win for the club finishing third, if Celtic, as expected, complete the treble by defeating Caley Thistle in the Scottish Cup final.
When you add in the £3.5m SPFL prize for third, a £1m increase on the payment for fourth, the rewards that come with beating Hearts are absolutely huge.
Aberdeen have not reached the group stages of European football since Mackie’s £1m goal in 2007 under Jimmy Calderwood’s management.
Since then the Dons have qualified for Europe nine times and fallen short on each occasion in the bid to reach the lucrative group stages.
The closest the Reds came to the groups was in 2021 when losing the Conference League play-off stage under Stephen Glass.
Aberdeen had to beat BK Hacken (Finland) and Breidablik (Iceland) to set up a play-off clash with Qarabag of Kazakhstan.
The Dons had to make a near 7,000-mile round trip to play on a horrendously rutted pitch in 30 degree heat in Kazakhstan in the bid to reach the groups.
How @UEFA can sanction a pitch like this is beyond the pale… the top cutting up immediately you play on it. And here in Baku they have this beautiful new stadium just up the road! Maybe we should play the return leg at Inverdee! pic.twitter.com/SLsJaLaMn8
— Dave Cormack (@CormackDavie) August 18, 2021
Now they have a 260-mile round drive to Edinburgh on Saturday to effectively secure group stage football, if Celtic lift the Scottish Cup.
Uefa have been much maligned for the way competitions had been balanced in favour of Europe’s big-hitters.
However, European football’s governing body deserve credit for recent innovations.
The introduction of the Europa Conference League has allowed a clearer, and more achievable, path to group stage football for clubs like Aberdeen.
In the final game of the 2017-18 season, Aberdeen beat Celtic 1-0 at Parkhead to secure a second-placed Premiership finish.
Despite finishing runners-up the Dons only entered the Europa League at the second qualifying round, losing to then-Premier League Burnley.
And there was no parachute into another competition. They lost and they were out.
It was a measly reward for finishing second to Celtic, ahead of Rangers.
This season it is all change as the rewards are far more tantalising and group stage qualification would be a complete game-changer for Aberdeen.
Pittodrie chief executive Alan Burrows recently confirmed the club’s board would back manager Barry Robson in the transfer window if they reach the groups.
A larger squad would be required to cope with fighting on two fronts.
And it must be quality and quantity in signings as the Reds could be playing top Euro teams.
The Uefa and SPFL prize money could also boost Robson’s transfer kitty for the summer window.
Guaranteed European football until mid December can also lure signing targets to Pittodrie.
Aberdeen could have the edge over rivals for players with that promise of regular European action.
Tynecastle will be a sliding door moment.
Win and the door to the European groups opens, and the door to years of continental frustration slams shut.
Ross McCrorie worth more than £2m
Bristol City will land a bargain when pushing through the £2 million signing of Ross McCrorie this summer.
Aberdeen and Bristol City have been in advanced negotiations regarding the transfer of vice-captain McCrorie in the upcoming window.
Bristol City are understood to be confident a deal will be completed.
Signing a player of McCrorie’s calibre and experience for £2m, plus future add-ons, is a bargain.
I would have doubled that figure, particularly considering McCrorie still has three years remaining on his Aberdeen contract.
If the deal is completed, Bristol City will effectively be signing three players for the price of one – at a knock-down price.
McCrorie can play right-back, centre-back and in midfield.
He has started 112 of his 113 games for Aberdeen, only featuring once off the bench – and the time he was a substitute was only because he was being rested for a crunch European clash.
That underlines his importance to Aberdeen.
I am confident McCrorie is a future Scotland international.
He is a leader on the pitch and should have been given the captaincy by former boss Jim Goodwin last summer following the exit of Scott Brown.
Aberdeen are already looking at a significant summer rebuild because so many loan players are set to exit at the end of the season.
I am surprised they are willing to add replacing McCrorie to that rebuild.
Especially for £2m.
Aberdeen right to reject Conference League
Thankfully Aberdeen opted to reject the invitation to enroll a B team in a proposed Conference League.
The new league, due to start in the 2024-25 season, would include four B Teams, two clubs from the Highland League and four from the Lowland League.
It would sit in the fifth tier of the Scottish football pyramid.
The Conference League’s introduction as the fifth tier would force many clubs below the 42 in the SPFL to drop down a division automatically. It is grossly unfair.
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