Greek champions AEK Athens have secured qualification for the UEFA Champions League league phase after defeating Bulgarian side Levski Sofia 4-0 at Nea Filadelfeia.
The second-leg victory guarantees the club a financial starting base of slightly over 21 million euros for entering Europe's top club tournament.
AEK will also have the opportunity to expand their total earnings through performance bonuses awarded during the expanded group stage.
Guaranteed payout and group stage prize structure
The club is guaranteed a fixed qualification payment of 18.62 million euros from UEFA for reaching the 36-team league phase. Added allocations from UEFA's value pillar system push AEK's starting revenue above 21 million euros before accounting for match results.
On-field results in the league phase will provide direct financial bonuses. UEFA will pay 2.1 million euros for every victory and 700,000 euros for each draw recorded during the stage.
Teams will also earn money according to their final position in the league standings. The 36th-placed club receives a single share of 275,000 euros, while the 35th-placed team earns two shares totaling 550,000 euros and the 34th-placed side receives three shares worth 825,000 euros, with payouts increasing incrementally up to the top spot.
Additional ranking rewards are reserved for clubs finishing in the upper half of the table. Teams ending the league phase between first and eighth place secure an extra two million euros, while those finishing from ninth to 16th place receive an extra one million euros.
Knockout stage bonuses and seeding pot
Reaching the knockout rounds delivers further financial returns. Qualification for the intermediate play-off round provides an extra one million euros, matching the stage reached by Greek rivals Olympiacos last season.
Clubs that progress to the Round of 16 will earn an additional 11 million euros each in UEFA prize money.
AEK will enter the upcoming Champions League draw in Pot 4. Their qualification has also elevated Greece in the UEFA country coefficient rankings, providing momentum as fellow Greek clubs Panathinaikos and PAOK continue their European campaigns.
Management reactions and locker room quotes
Following the match, AEK owner Marios Iliopoulos went down to the bench and embraced the players. Iliopoulos described the result as a historic night and said that this was the vision he held for AEK.
AEK manager Nikolic stated that the team was now among the elite, but stressed that they wanted to remain competitive and claim further success while keeping focus on the domestic championship.
AEK player Lazarus Rota spoke lightheartedly about the draw, stating that he wanted to face Greek teammates Tzolis, Konstantelias, and Karetsas to make things difficult for his friends.
In other qualification results, Turkish club Fenerbahce, Norwegian side Viking, and Slovakian team Slovan Bratislava also advanced to the Champions League league phase.
