The Champions League 2017-18 started with five Premier League clubs. Over the course of the competition, four of those sides – Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester United and Manchester City – have been dispatched.
Now, only one English side remains as Liverpool enter the semifinal stage. The Reds will take on Roma in the semifinal, while Bayern Munich plays Real Madrid in the other semifinal tie.
Although four of the five English teams have been eliminated, here is where all five Premier League sides are winners. Each club has cashed in this season in terms of matchday revenue, television money and competition winnings.
The Champions League offers the most prize money of any sports competition in the world. This year’s tournament will see a whopping €1.3189 billion paid out to teams from the playoff rounds to the final. There is a reason commentators talk how lucrative making the group stage is. The amount of money could make or break a small or medium sized club and keep them going for years to come.
Manchester United will receive £33.6m for their participation in the Champions League this term. The Red Devils won last year’s Europa League, which allowed them to play in the Champions League. Due to that, stipulations stated the club would not receive money for part of the group stage. Still, qualifying for the knockout round meant more money for the Red Devils. However, Manchester United have earned the lowest amount of the Premier League teams.
Tottenham, who also made it to the knockout round, earned £51.9m. The North London club can use that amount to help keep its biggest stars, who are being linked with moves away from Tottenham. Harry Kane, the Premier League’s second leading scorer, could see a new contract or the club may use some of that cash to pay off its new stadium – which is currently being built.
Manchester City were beaten in the Champions League quarterfinals. However, the club earned £53.7m in prize money. Continually the Premier League’s biggest spenders, there is no doubt Manchester City will spend big again this offseason. The club has not made it past the quarterfinal stage despite its big money transfers; and winning the Champions League is one of Manchester City’s main objectives. The club has already won the Premier League this term and will have another crack at the Champions League in 2018-19.
Chelsea surprisingly earned £55.5m, despite being knocked out a round before Manchester City. The Blues were defeated by Barcelona in the last-16 after Lionel Messi’s one-man performance eliminated the London club.
Liverpool are England’s only club still in the Champions League, and due to the team’s deep run in the tournament, Liverpool have earned £57m. The club will receive around £7m just for making the semifinal. If the Reds can get past Roma and play in the final, Liverpool will see even more cash come their way from prize winnings. The Champions League runners-up will be paid £9.5m, while the winner will get £13.5m.
According to the number breakdown, an English club could have their Champions League money increased to a total of £87m thanks to prize winnings and television money. If Liverpool can win the competition, it will be a huge payday for the Reds.
