In a significant boost to the Premier League’s dominance, England is poised to send an unprecedented six teams to the Champions League in the upcoming season. This further exemplifies the financial prowess that the English league holds over its European counterparts.
Both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur successfully progressed to an all-English final in the Europa League, which is the second-tier European competition. The victorious team from this final will secure a spot in the Champions League, where prize money significantly outstrips that of the Europa League by up to four times.
Despite facing challenges within the Premier League, the strong performances of Manchester United and Tottenham in European competitions have bolstered the overall success of English clubs this season. Adding to their achievements, Chelsea will also play Real Betis in the Conference League final.
Kieran Maguire, a soccer finance expert from The Price of Football podcast, highlighted the financial muscle of the Premier League. He noted that even underperforming teams like Chelsea, Manchester United, and Tottenham possess budgets vastly exceeding those of their European competitors.
The Premier League teams have already secured one of the two additional Champions League entries awarded by UEFA to the highest-performing nations each year. England’s clubs have emerged triumphantly in knockout phases of European competitions, with earlier successes recorded in 2021, 2019, and 2008. Meanwhile, Spain achieved notable success in 2016.
A significant increase in prize money this season stands to further England’s advantage. UEFA’s prize pool for its three competitions has risen by 25% to over 3.3 billion euros ($3.7 billion) due to newly established commercial agreements for the expanded 36-team format. As such, advancing to the Champions League knockout rounds is poised to earn an English club no less than 100 million euros ($112 million) from UEFA. Champions can potentially secure 160 million euros ($180 million), an increase from the 139 million euros ($156 million) Real Madrid received last season.
Notably, Bayer Leverkusen, the top earner of the previous Europa League, pocketed 41 million euros ($46 million), and this amount is likely to rise for both Manchester United and Tottenham. Such financial gains are anticipated to bolster revenues flowing to English clubs, driving the Premier League’s continued prosperity powered by lucrative global broadcasting agreements.
The financial juggernaut of English soccer previously motivated clubs like Real Madrid, struggling Barcelona, and Juventus to propose the European Super League four years prior, which ultimately didn’t materialize.
Since 2018, England has consistently been among the four nations awarded guaranteed Champions League places based on UEFA’s rankings, which are derived from collective club performances over five European seasons. Alongside England, Spain, Germany, and Italy have maintained these spots since 2008.
The Champions League’s expansion to 36 teams this season enabled UEFA to assign extra entries to the two top-performing countries from the previous season. England’s extraordinary results have earned them a ranking score of 28.892 points, significantly outpacing Spain by five points.
From 2015, winning the Europa League has provided direct entry to the subsequent Champions League. This avenue serves as a last-chance opportunity for Manchester United and Tottenham, presently positioned 15th and 16th in the Premier League, respectively.
Spain previously became the first nation to boast five teams in the Champions League during the 2015-16 season, setting a precedent that England has now eclipsed.
Former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger expressed skepticism about Manchester United and Tottenham’s potential ascension into the Champions League. He suggested on BeIN Sports that such allowances were unwarranted when a league already fields five qualifiers.
Maguire explained that England’s financial strength partly accounts for the all-English finals scheduled for May 21 in Bilbao, Spain. Manchester United and Tottenham rank among Europe’s top ten clubs for revenue and can field robust squads, better handling the competitive demands compared to clubs like Athletic Bilbao and Norway’s Bodo/Glimt.
The influx of UEFA prize money frequently benefits less wealthy Premier League teams capable of outbidding most European sides. Clubs like Bournemouth, Brighton, and Crystal Palace may anticipate transfer offers this offseason, utilizing gained resources to enhance their squads strategically.
“Clubs ranked from seventh to 10th in the Premier League are significantly wealthier than their European counterparts, helping account for their advancements,” Maguire remarked, hinting that these teams could soon emerge as England’s next UEFA contenders.