By Andrew Warshaw
July 24 – The financial importance of playing in the cash-rich Champions League for Europe’s top clubs has been starkly underlined yet again by the latest figures from UEFA which show that €904.6 million was distributed among the 32 teams competing in the competition from the group stage onwards last season. The payments cover participation, TV pool and performance-related revenue.
That compares to a €754.1 million share for the previous season and represents a massive leap that shows no sign of diminishing as Europe’s big-hitters prepare for the coming campaign.
Surprisingly perhaps, Italian champions Juventus topped the prize money table, raking in more than €65.3 million despite losing in the quarter-finals to eventual winner Bayern Munich.
Bayern, crowned European champions after a thrilling 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the all-German final at Wembley, picked up a combined €55.046 million in payments from UEFA. This consisted of €35.9 million in participation, match and performance bonuses covering the group and knockout stages (including the final) as well as €19.146 million from the television sales pool.
Dortmund earned only slightly less – its figure of €54.161 million comprising €32.4 million in participation, match and performance payments, plus €21.761 million from the TV sales pool.
Juventus’ total is explained by almost €45 million coming from Italian broadcast rights. AC Milan, beaten in the last 16 by Barcelona, were also major earners, collecting €51.4 million.
Real Madrid received €48.4 million and fellow semifinalist Barcelona €45.5 million. In sixth place was Paris Saint-Germain, the new European power house which received €44.7 million.
No English club reached the last eight and that was reflected by Manchester United earning less than its major European rivals – €35.5 million in total.
All 32 teams recevied a basic €8.6 million for reaching the group stage, then earned €1 million per win and €500,000 for each draw. Payments steadily increased for each knockout round.
The Champions League subsidised the Europa League for the first time, allowing UEFA to distribute €209 million from the group stage onwards.
The revenue generated by the centralised marketing of the Europa League – plus an additional €40 million contribution from the Champions League share – was redistributed among the 48 clubs taking part from the group stage onwards, as well as the eight sides that joined in the round of 32 after coming third in their Champions League groups.
But those opposed to the principle of Champions League failures being allowed to drop down into the Europa League for another bite at the cherry are bound to be aggrieved at Chelsea’s combined income. The London club banked €30.777 million from the Champions League and, after being knocked out in the group stage, added an extra €10.7 million after joining the second-tier competition which they went on to win.
The Europa League, whilst more lucrative than previously, nevertheless provided somewhat more modest windfalls than the senior competition, with a pot more than four times smaller than that of the Champions League.
Fenerbahce, currently embroiled in a match-fixing scandal in Turkey, received the biggest individual payment with €11.18 million.
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