Inter will feel that they need a win against Sheriff Tiraspol at the San Siro this evening if they are to avoid leaving their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League knockout round in jeopardy.

This according to today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, who highlight the significant potential financial ramifications of missing out on the knockouts of Europe’s top competition for the fourth season in a row.

It is still only two games into this season’s group stage of the Champions League so the Nerazzurri have plenty of time to rescue themselves, but as it stands a failure to beat group leaders Sheriff would leave them on the edge of group stage elimination once again.

The last three seasons have seen this disappointing scenario, which is problematic not only on a sporting level, with the club having made progression to the knockouts a key part of the season’s project, but also a financial one, seeing the club miss out on €20 million in revenue every time they fall at this hurdle.

This is a problem for a club whose financial issues have been widely reported, and could also mean that the ambition to make signings in the January transfer market could become impossible without new funds from Champions League revenue.