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How much Larne have earned in Europe so far and what's at stake against Shamrock Rovers

Photo shows Larne players
-Credit: (Image: INPHO/Stephen Hamilton)


Larne continue their European crusade on Thursday night in a massive all-island derby showdown. Shamrock Rovers are next up for Tiernan Lynch's men in the league phase of the UEFA Conference League.

Both sides have played one league phase fixture so far - Rovers drew with APOEL from Cyprus while Larne fell to a 3-0 defeat to Norwegian side Molde.

The two sides have already banked an impressive sum of European prize money, and there could be more to come tonight and in the remaining games.

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Larne pocketed in the region of £2.6m for getting to the group stages of the UEFA Conference League, a massive sum for an Irish League club..

They will have another five fixtures before Christmas including tonight's game against Rovers. There are plenty of bonuses lurking in the league phase, with teams bagging an extra £336,000 for a win and £112,000 for a draw, not to mention any potential television and media rights along the way.

If Larne pulled off the unbelievable and somehow progressed to the knockout stages, that would be worth an additional £166,000. Teams that make the last-16 will bank another £665,000, while the prize for making the quarter-finals is £1m and semi-finals £2m.

This year's champions will pocket a cool £5.8m, with the runners-up receiving £3.3m.

Despite much of the focus being on prize money, proud manager Lynch previously insisted Larne's feat isn't about finances, but about launching Northern Ireland football onto the European map.

He told the BBC earlier this year: "This is not a financial thing. It is about us showing we can get to the group stages of a European competition, and teams from Northern Ireland can achieve that and it isn't a pipe dream anymore.

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"We have made it reality and there will be many more behind us doing the same."

He added: "It is beyond money. It is this league and how good it is, and trying to put it on the map. The amount of text messages I have received over the past 24 hours from managers to chairmen to Gerard Lawlor (NI Football League CEO), all wishing us well. Thankfully these boys could deliver."

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