Champions League winnings: French clubs can line their pockets!

Who will succeed Real Madrid? This is the big question surrounding this 2024-25 Champions League. An edition that will be special since UEFA will inaugurate the new format of the tournament. Indeed, the traditional group stage (8 groups of 4 with two-way matches) has been replaced by a new format in which the 36 qualified clubs are grouped in the same group. Each team will thus play 4 home matches and 4 away matches (8 in total, editor’s note). Which is not to everyone’s taste. Indeed, many voices have been raised to criticize the new Champions League and the infernal pace imposed on footballers.

UEFA divided the winnings into 3 parts

But the clubs will be able to console themselves with a nice jackpot. As usual, the governing body of European football will pay a nice sum of money to the teams that qualify for the C1. UEFA explained this in a press release some time ago. “The total amount available for distribution to participating clubs in 2024/25 is €3.317 billion, of which €2.467 billion (74.38%) will go to clubs participating in the UCL (C1) and the UEFA Super Cup, €565 million (17.02%) to clubs participating in the UEL (C3) and €285 million (8.6%) to clubs participating in the UECL (C4).” Unsurprisingly, the teams involved in the Champions League will have the biggest slice of the pie.

For this new edition and more broadly for the cycle from 2024 to 2027, the revenues distributed to the participating clubs will be divided into three different parts. Thus, UEFA speaks of a “new pillar “value” which is a combination of the old pillars “market share” (value of the country’s market) and “coefficient” (individual club coefficient). The pillar “value” comprises two elements: the European part and the non-European part. The amounts allocated to these two parts will be proportional to the actual result of the sale of media rights for this competition on UEFA markets (European part) and on all other markets (non-European part). The ratio between the European part and the non-European part will depend on the contracts concluded with the media markets for the entire cycle by 1 July 2024.”

A fixed participation bonus

As for the second pillar, the teams will receive an individual participation bonus of €18.62 million, with a first payment of €17.87 million and a balance of €750,000. They will also receive a performance-related bonus. In the event of a victory, the winning team will pocket €2.1 million. A draw will bring in €700,000. In the event of a defeat, the clubs will not receive a single euro. Enough to motivate our French representatives, like Paris Saint-Germain. The French champions who will face Girona, PSV, Atlético de Madrid and Manchester City at the Parc des Princes. They will travel to challenge Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Salzburg and Stuttgart.

If Luis Enrique’s troops will cross swords with big names, there will be some good moves to be made and therefore money to be taken in the process in the event of good results. AS Monaco (Barça, Dinamo Zagreb, Red Star, Bologna, Benfica, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Inter), LOSC (Sporting CP, Real Madrid, Atlético, Juventus, Bologna, Sturm Graz, Liverpool and Feyenoord) and Brest (Sturm Graz, Salzburg, Leverkusen, Sparta Prague, Barça, PSV, Shakhtar and Real Madrid) are also hoping to make some good moves.

The winner can line his pockets

In addition, the clubs that qualify for the knockout stage could further increase their prize money. In detail, qualifying for the play-off matches of the knockout stage will earn each club €1 million. A place in the last 16 will earn each club €11 million. In the quarter-finals, the clubs will earn €12.5 million. In the semi-finals, they will receive a check for €15 million. Finally, the finalists will each receive €18.5 million. The winner will receive an additional €6.5 million. They will also receive €4 million for qualifying for the European Super Cup. If we put aside the bonuses linked to the ranking, match results and the “value” pillar, the club that lifts the cup with the big ears will receive at least €86.5 million just for its journey. Enough to make many teams dream, especially our French representatives, who will receive at least €18.62 million for their participation. But this amount is likely to increase depending on the performances and ranking of the French clubs involved in C1.

In fact, UEFA has also introduced a bonus linked to the final ranking at the end of the league phase. “Each team will thus receive an amount based on its final ranking in the league phase. The total amount available for league ranking bonuses is divided into 666 equal parts (1+2+3+…+35+36). The initial value of each part will be €275,000. The lowest ranked team will receive one share (€275,000). With one share added to each rank, the highest ranked team will receive 36 shares (…) In addition to the league ranking bonuses, clubs ranked 1 to 8 will receive an additional €2 million, and clubs ranked 9 to 16 will receive an additional €1 million.”we can read on the press release. For these bonuses; we will therefore have to wait to know the ranking of the teams after the 8 group matches. But the first in the ranking will win 9.9 million euros, the last will pocket 275,000 euros. All this is good news for the French clubs, especially after the fiasco of the rights in L1.