The group stage of the UEFA Champions League has ended and each club already knows their status -either they qualified for the next round, move into the Europa League or went back to their respective country.
There is either a financial benefit or consequence for the clubs that qualified for the next round, relegated tot he Europa League or got knocked out completely.
Some clubs will be counting their losses for missing out in the prestigious club competition they were initially given €50m for reaching the group stage.
Big clubs like Manchester United and Ajax have found themselves in the Europa League. The former won three games and lost three in their group.
Unfortunately, Inter Milan missed out for the second season running from the group stage. This time around, they ended up being bottom of the group courtesy of a goalless draw against Shakhtar Donetsk in both legs. Their undoing was the back-to-back defeats suffered against Real Madrid that eventually topped the group.
Inter Milan count their losses as they exited the UEFA Champions League group stage
Let us use Inter Milan’s elimination as an example, highlighting the financial consequence for their earlier ouster from the tournament again.
The fact remains that their elimination is not just a heavy blow to their sporting reputation, but also financially, boosting Juventus, Lazio and Atalanta.
This is the first time the Nerazzurri will finish in the bottom spot of their Champions League group in their history.
According to the available stat, reaching the Round of 16 would’ve been worth €9.5m in UEFA rewards, apart from pocketing at least €50m from the group stage.
Since they only won one game out of six, their bonus for performances is just €5.4m, the same as last season.
Under Luciano Spalletti, Inter won two games in 2018-19 and earned €7.2m in bonuses.
Another loss for Inter is their share of the market pool for TV rights. The money will be going to Juventus, Lazio and Atalanta. Expectedly, their pockets will be bolstered.
Had Inter had reached the quarter-finals, they would make another €10.5m, then €12m for the semi-finals and €15m for the Final.
Unfortunately, they are not even in the Europa League. Being in the competition would’ve been another financial benefit.
Financial benefits of UEFA Champions League
The table below simplifies the figure for each clubs.
| POSITION | PRIZE MONEY |
|---|---|
| Winner | €19,000,000 |
| Runner-up | €15,000,000 |
| Semifinalists | €12,000,000 |
| Quarterfinalists | €10,500,000 |
| Round of 16 | €9,500,000 |
| Group match draw | €900,000 |
| Group match victory | €2,700,000 |
| Group stage | €15,250,000 |
| Third qualifying round | €480,000 |
| Second qualifying round | €380,000 |
| First qualifying round | €280,000 |
| Preliminary round | €230,000 |
