Rangers not reliant on Champions League riches already in Celtic's pocket as Hampden fans go back to school

Philippe Clement may be in the midst of a squad rebuild but the Rangers manager is not banking on Champions League football to finance it. That was the message from the Belgian ahead of Tuesday night's clash with Dynamo Kyiv, which is so delicately poised at 1-1 after the first leg.

Victory in this tie alone would bring a near £4 million bounty for reaching the play-off round, the final door to be knocked through to permit entry into the glittering, shiny new league phase in which Old Firm and Premiership rivals Celtic are already safely in. Such a setting cashes cheques nearing £40m, but Clement cannot think about that. Even if Dynamo Kyiv are overcome in Glasgow, Austrian side Salzburg or Twente await, with the Dutch side trailing 2-1 going into their second leg in Enschede.

Rangers did well to bring back a 1-1 draw from Lublin last week, with Cyriel Dessers' stoppage-time goal giving them hope and potentially momentum. They need all the help they can get, given Ibrox - so often a trump card in Europe - is temporarily decommissioned due to construction work delays.

Ben Davies, Kieran Dowell and James Tavernier train ahead of Rangers' match against Dynamo Kyiv. | SNS Group

Clement says that reaching the promised land of the Champions League would merely accelerate the rebuild of his team. He was at pains to point out that Rangers are not reliant on that sort of money this season. Gone are the days of spending what is not already in the kitty. Given the manager does not believe the real Rangers will present themselves until winter, such prudency is probably wise.

“It is not about being on schedule, I think it can make things happen faster," Clement said on potential European riches. "Going to the Champions League is not budgeted and that is the best way because some teams have done that in the past and they had really big financial problems out of that. We can’t do that, clearly."

Even an odds-against qualification - Salzburg are favourites to do so - would not significantly alter plans for this transfer window. It slams shut just 72 hours after the qualifiers. “Of course if you can go to the Champions League it will give you another budget, although it is only in the last hours of the transfer market at the moment," Clement pointed out. "But it will be an important thing, for sure for the future windows at the club."

It was put to Clement that even overcoming the Ukrainians, who performed in underwhelming fashion last week, could make an impact with the play-off round payment. ‘Not so much I think," was the deadpan response. "I don’t think it will be a big difference. But I said last time also that I’m not an accountant here at the club. I am not the one who says. ‘Okay we spend £200,000 here and we get £100,000 there.

Philippe Clement ponders tactics ahead of the Hampden showdown. | SNS Group

"We had really clear talks about that and a clear plan before we entered the transfer window. Other people decide where to spend the money. Of course I give my priorities in positions, but I focus on the team and the staff and making everything really good here with the players available. We will see if other names come up that we will get with qualities and make choices that way."

Clement knows that the tie is on a knife-edge. Both teams had their moments at the Arena Lublin and a draw was a fair result. Hampden will be busier than it was in Poland but it is still to all intents and purposes a neutral venue. “I don’t think we have command of the tie," said Clement. "I think it’s two teams at the same level. They have the advantage of having played longer together but our team did really well against Kyiv tactically. It’s not easy with new players, and with players coming back from injury, to be that good in that game. I was really pleased about that.”

Being back in Govan would swing the odds in their favour. Rangers started life at Hampden with a 2-1 win over Motherwell, but the atmosphere fell flat in the second half. Clement wants the fans to embrace the occasion. "I hope that the fans feel already more at home," he said. "The first time is always like the first day at school when you feel a little uncomfortable. For a lot of people it will be the second time now and I hope we can create an Ibrox atmosphere at Hampden also.

"It would be a huge achievement from the fans to sit a little bit further away from the pitch and to still create the same atmosphere. I hope they can get there and we are going to give everything on the pitch to give them something to be enthusiastic about. That’s our role of course, it’s not a one-way street."

Rangers levelled late through Cyriel Dessers in Lublin. | SNS Group

Failure here - or indeed in the play-off round - would mean Rangers automatically dropping into the main phase of the Europa League. Finalists in 2022, it is a competition Rangers know well. Goalkeeper Jack Butland is urging them to get out of their comfort zone and reach Europe's top table.

"That is why tomorrow is so important," said Butland. "We are not comfortable with the Europa League. It’s a great competition if you are in it and a great opportunity to progress but we want to test ourselves. What it does for the club and players who have experienced that, it’s an important thing. There is so many pros to qualify for that and it’s certainly our target."

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