The remaining third promotion slot in next season’s English Premier League will be decided today (kick-off: 4pm) at Wembley where Derby County play Queens Park Rangers in the play-offs final.
Champions Leicester City and runners-up Burnley booked the automatic places as the regular season came to a close on May 3.
In the semi-finals, third-placed Derby, who finished five points ahead of QPR, eliminated sixth-placed Brighton, winning both ties.
At the Goldstone Ground, Derby won 2-1 and in the return leg at Pride Park, the Rams downed the Seagulls 4-1.
In the other semi-final, QPR obtained a valuable goalless draw at Wigan Athletic and then, at Loftus Road, the blue-and-white hoops edged the Latics 2-1 after extra-time.
Derby can look forward to a £120 million windfall if they beat QPR and return to the Premier League.
That is the staggering prize up for grabs for former England coach Steve McClaren’s side, while QPR, who were relegated from the top flight last season, would expect to be £80 million richer should they prevail in English soccer’s most lucrative match.
Derby’s net return would be more as they have been outside the top flight for six years, while QPR would still benefit from so-called Premier League parachute payments even if they lose.
It seems like you cannot leave Harry Redknapp away from the news as at the first time of asking he can bounce back to the top flight with QPR.
He told reporters this week that he was looking forward to going back to Wembley with a QPR side that got relegated from the Premier League last year.
The London club is Redknapp’s sixth in his career having been at the helm of Tottenham, Ports-mouth, Southampton, West Ham and Bournemouth in the past.
His prizes include a Division One title and promotion to the Premier League with Portsmouth in 2003 and a Third Division champion-ship with Bournemouth in 1987.
In 2008, he steered Pompey to an FA Cup final win. Eight years earlier, he had led West Ham all the way to winning the now-defunct UEFA Intertoto Cup.
On a personal note, Redknapp became Manager of the Year in 2010 with Portsmouth and was inducted into the LMA Hall of Fame.
McClaren, became England manager on August 1, 2006. In his 18 games in charge he won nine, drew four and lost five.
This season he spent a short spell at QPR as part of Redknapp’s coaching staff before transforming Derby’s fortunes after being appointed manager in September.
“We finished third and I suppose with the points we ended up with, we would have gone up automatically in previous seasons,” McClaren told the club website.
“However, if we are to achieve promotion we’ll have to do it this way. Third taking on fourth means the best two teams outside the automatic places go head-to-head, and it’ll be very interesting, I am sure.”
Dutch experience
Since managing the England national team, McClaren excelled during a spell in the Dutch league.
He joined FC Twente in June 2008 and in his first season in charge he led the side to second place, the final of the Dutch Cup and the latter stages of the UEFA Cup.
In the 2009-10 season, McClaren enjoyed greater success after leading Twente to the league title. He was named as the Coach of the Year in Holland in 2010.
His other engagements before taking over at Derby were Middlesbrough, Wolfsburg, Nottingham Forest, FC Twente and Queens Park Rangers.
In 2004, he steered Middlesbrough to League Cup honours.
This season, Derby and QPR won their respective Championship match at home in direct clashes:
February 10: Pride Park – Derby vs Queens Park Rangers 1-0 (Eustace).
November 2: Loftus Road: Queens Park Rangers vs Derby 2-1 (Jenas, Eustace og − Dawkins).
QPR will be involved in the Championship play-offs for the first time but Derby figured in the end-of-season deciders three times.
1992: lost in the semi-finals.
1994: went down to Leicester in the final.
2007: won the final against West Bromwich Albion.