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There's €14m on the line tonight as Dundalk chases its Champions League dream

Dundalk FC has already guaranteed a windfall of €5.4m from European football by reachin...



There's €14m on the line t...
Soccer

There's €14m on the line tonight as Dundalk chases its Champions League dream

Dundalk FC has already guaranteed a windfall of €5.4m from European football by reaching tonight's Champions League qualifier against Legia Warsaw of Poland and securing at least Europa League football.

If they can defeat the Polish team over two legs the Lilywhites will walk away with €2m for winning the tie.

The Co Louth team stands to earn an extra €12m if it takes part in the tournament's group stages.

At that point, a victory would result in a €1.5m payout, and they would receive €500,000 for drawn ties.

But a loss isn't the end of the road - during the Europa League group stage, teams earn €360,000 for winning and €120,000 for drawing.

To put that money in context, the total prize money for winning the SSE Airtricity League last year was €100,000 - meaning that 140 times that amount is up for grabs against the Warsaw club.

If Dundalk can edge out the Poles they will be the first Irish side to participate in the group stages of Europe's premier club competition.

Ahead of tonight's first leg at the Aviva Stadium, Off The Ball spoke to Polish football writer and scout Michal Zachodny about the potential threat posed by this Legia team.

There's €14m on the line tonight as Dundalk chases its Champions League dream

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