GENEVA: Champions League winner Chelsea received €59.9 million ($ 73.1 million) in prize money and was the biggest earner in last season’s competition, UEFA said yesterday.
Beaten finalist Bayern Munich earned € 41.7 million ($ 50.9 million) from the €754 million ($ 919 million) prize fund which UEFA shared among 32 teams playing in the group stage. Bayern got a further € 2.1 million ($ 2.6 million) for playing in the playoff round to qualify for the group stage.
Barcelona, which reached the semifinals, earned € 40.6 million ($ 49.5 million). Barcelona’s quarterfinals opponent, AC Milan, was next with €39.9 million ($ 48.7 million).
Manchester United was sixth with € 35.2 million ($ 43 million) even while failing to reach the last-16 knockout round. It added a further € 1.25 million ($ 1.5 million) from its brief subsequent appearance in the second-tier Europa League.
English clubs are rewarded for valuable national broadcasting deals, which factor into UEFA’s calculations.
Still, United led the prize list with € 53.2 million (then $ 76.7 million) when reaching the final in 2011. Elite clubs can ill afford such a steep drop in earnings as UEFA’s financial fair play rules are phased in, requiring them to break even on their football business.
Last season, UEFA paid clubs a basic € 7.2 million ($8.8 million) for taking part in the Champions League groups, plus results-based bonuses and a share of the pooled broadcasting money.
Dinamo Zagreb was bottom of the earnings table, getting € 8.2 million ($ 10 million) after losing all six matches.
Clubs are set to earn even more for the next three seasons, after UEFA announced that Champions League revenue will rise 22 percent for the 2012-15 commercial sales cycle.
Annual income for the world’s most prestigious club competition will be at least € 1.34 billion ($ 1.63 billion).
The chasm in earnings between the Champions League and Europa League is shown in earnings tables published by UEFA.
Chelsea, Bayern and Barcelona collected almost as much combined as the € 150.4 million ($ 183.5 million) distributed among 56 clubs taking part in the Europa League groups and knockout stage.
Atletico Madrid earned € 10.5 million ($ 12.8 million) for winning the second-tier title, edging Schalke which benefited from its share of the German broadcasting deals.
To boost the Europa League’s status, UEFA and European clubs have agreed on a €40 million ($ 49 million) annual subsidy.
UEFA estimates that the Europa League will be worth € 225 million ($ 275 million) for each of the next three seasons.
UEFA retains around 20 percent of commercial revenues from its club competitions to cover running costs and make solidarity payments to national federations, leagues and clubs.
The 200-member European Club Association lobby group also gets at least € 2.5 million ($ 3 million) annual funding.
Chelsea tops Champions League prize money list
Chelsea tops Champions League prize money list
PSG rally from early deficit to beat Monaco 3-2 away in Champions League playoff
- PSG are now in an advantageous position for the return leg in Paris next Wednesday as they look to progress to next month’s last 16
MONACO: Champions League holders Paris St. Germain overcame a horror start and a two-goal deficit to beat 10-man Monaco 3-2 away in the first leg of their knockout round playoff tie on Tuesday.
Desire Doue came off the bench to engineer an impressive turnaround for PSG, who conceded a goal in the opening minute and were 2-0 down after 18 minutes as Folarin Balogun grabbed a double for the hosts.
The 20-year-old Doue replaced Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele, who went off injured after 27 minutes, and proved decisive for the visitors as he struck two superb goals plus set up one for Achraf Hakimi.
Monaco spent most of the second half down to 10 men after Aleksandr Golovin was shown a red card for a studs-up tackle that raked down the shin of Vitinha with the referee upgrading his original caution to a sending off after consulting the touchline VAR screen.
PSG are now in an advantageous position for the return leg in Paris next Wednesday as they look to progress to next month’s last 16.
However, the European champions were in all sorts of trouble after 56 seconds when their fullback Nuno Mendes had a stray cross-field pass cut out in midfield, handing Monaco a first attack with Golovin chipping for Balogun to head home from close range.
Monaco looked to be in the driving seat as Balogun netted a second goal after Maghnes Akliouche’s cleverly weighted pass allowed the American striker to outsprint PSG captain Marquinhos and score.
PSG WASTE PENALTY OPPORTUNITY BUT STILL WIN
Their fortunes were still looking good despite a defensive slip by Wout Faes, which led to the defender pulling back on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and giving away a 22nd-minute penalty, but Vitinha’s effort was saved by Philipp Kohn.
But the tie swung as Doue came on for Dembele and scored with his first touch in the 29th minute with a left-footed effort after being teed up by Bradley Barcola. The goal was confirmed after a VAR check denied Monaco’s claims for a foul on defender Vanderson in the buildup.
Doue’s rifling shot in the 41st minute was parried away by Kohn, but Hakimi reacted quickly to pounce on the rebound and make it 2-2 before the break.
Golovin’s dismissal in the 48th minute left Monaco on the back foot as the visitors then dominated proceedings and should have had more than just the 67th-minute winner from Doue – another superbly struck shot that flew into the goal from the edge of the penalty area.
“I didn’t feel I had to show something starting on the bench, I tried to play as usual. Tonight it paid off. I was able to score, to help the team. That’s my job,” Doue said.
“The coach makes his choices, he thinks about putting the best players in the team. Tonight he fielded this starting eleven, which is very good. Whether it’s a defeat or a victory, it’s always a team effort.”
PSG midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery missed a couple of good chances and Hakimi came close to a late fourth goal when his 86th-minute angled effort went close across the face of the goal.
“Disappointment is the overriding feeling,” said Monaco captain Denis Zakaria. “We went into this match with the aim of winning, but we didn’t manage to do it today. We still have our chances. We’re going to Paris and trying to win there.”
