Lithuanian striker Armandas Kučys misses crucial chances, costing club millions in Champions League qualification

Lithuanian national team striker Armandas Kučys found himself at the center of a costly controversy after missing two golden opportunities that led to his team, NK Celje, being eliminated from the UEFA Champions League qualifiers. The Slovenian club lost 1-2 after extra time to Bratislava's Slovan in the final qualifying round, a defeat that carries a hefty financial price.

Had Celje secured qualification, they would have received a starting payout of 18.62 million Euros from UEFA, part of a 670 million Euro prize pool shared among 36 clubs. The club also stood to gain further prize money for tournament achievements and commercial value. Kučys's missed chances in the dying moments of regulation and during extra time directly cost the club this significant financial windfall.

Slovenian media and even opposing players expressed astonishment at the missed opportunities. "It was a 1000 percent chance. If they had scored, they would be in the Champions League," said Andraž Šporar, a player for Slovan and the Slovenian national team. Slovenian newspaper "Delo.si" was particularly harsh, labeling Kučys as "clumsy" for his performance in the crucial match.

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It was a 1000 percent chance. If they had scored, they would be in the Champions League.

Kučys, 23, entered the game in the 80th minute and had a clear chance to send Celje into the Champions League. He failed to convert from close range, a miss that was compounded by another missed opportunity in extra time. Teammates Artemijus Tutyškinas and Pijus Širvys also played in the match, with Širvys receiving a yellow card and being substituted, while Tutyškinas played the full game and also received a yellow card.

Celje will now continue their European campaign in the UEFA Europa League group stage, a consolation prize that does little to soften the blow of missing out on the lucrative Champions League and the millions that come with it, all due to a few critical misses.

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This is a very painful situation – A. Kučys strangely hesitated right at the goal.