Ahead of Thursday evening’s Europa League quarter-final, first leg clash with Wolfsburg, Rafael Benitez has revealed that Napoli would be due a €40 million windfall through Champions League qualification were they to win the tournament.
Unlike in previous years, this season’s winner of Europe’s second continental competition will gain qualification to next term’s Champions League, and thus access to the associated riches that comes with playing top level European football.
With Napoli floundering in the league and unlikely to finish in the top three, Corriere della Sera reports that Partenopei president Aurelio De Laurentiis has instructed Benitez to give due reverence to the Europa League which he views as an alternative route into the Champions League.
Following a poor run of form which has seen them record just two victories from their eight league games, Napoli currently sit fourth in the table, seven points behind third placed Roma who occupy the last Champions League spot.
