19 September 2023 , 06:30
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UEFA will pay out more than €2bn (£1.7bn) in prize money to Champions League clubs this season as reigning champions Manchester City eye another €100m+ windfall.
The group stage of club football’s pinnacle gets underway at 5:45pm this evening with Newcastle United travelling to face Milan in their first appearance for two decades.
Later this evening Pep Guardiola’s side will begin their attempt to become the first team apart from Real Madrid to win back-to-back European titles with a home game against Serbian champions Crvena Zvezda.
Last season’s win against Inter Milan in Istanbul was worth €111m (£95.6m) to City, before TV money, and they have already guaranteed €48.6m (£41.9m) before kicking a ball thanks to merit payments this season.
That lump sum is based on complex coefficient rankings with additional millions to be made from broadcasting income and then the actual performance on the pitch.
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Real Madrid have earned the biggest starting payment of €52m (£44.8m) courtesy of past performances. Of the other English clubs Manchester United have banked €44m (£38m, eighth overall), Arsenal €41m (£35.3m; 11th) and Newcastle €20m (£17.2m; 29th).
Every group stage win is worth €2.8m (£2.4m), with a draw valued at €930,000 (£800,000). Making it to the last 16 will unlock €9.6m (£8.3m), the eight quarter-finalists receive an extra €10.6m (£9.1m) and advancing to the semis will be worth €12.5m (£10.8m) more. The beaten finalist will earn another €15.5m (£13.4m) and eventual winners €20m (£17.2m).
By comparison the Europa League winners might only make about €30m (£25.8m) in total if they are not one of the clubs that drop down from the Champions League group stage, while West Ham made just €20m (£17.2m) for winning last season’s Conference League.
Earlier this month it was revealed that the distribution model will change next season, when the competition expands to 36 teams and a new “Swiss model” replaces the current group stage.
That will likely see a fifth Premier League side guaranteed to be involved - with the potential of seven taking part if an unlikely series of results occurred.
But another tweak will see UEFA’s coefficient ranking based on a five-year spell rather than ten - meaning Manchester City will almost certainly be the top ranked team and therefore in line to earn additional money.