The Europa League knockout stages kick off on Thursday, with Manchester United among the favourites to lift the trophy in Bilbao.
While teams like AS Roma, Lazio, Tottenham, Ajax, and Athletic Club will be confident of their chances, United stand as the biggest club in the competition.
Amid the struggles on the pitch and off it, a Europa League victory is vital for the Red Devils.
Ruben Amorim is eyeing a summer overhaul, but to fund that, United must secure European football for next season—ideally, the Champions League.
The winner of the Europa League automatically qualifies for the Champions League, which brings a financial windfall that could boost United’s transfer budget.
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Qualifying for Europe’s top competition is estimated to bring in around £80 million in broadcast revenue, prize money, and gate receipts.
Teams also earn £1.8 million per win in the group stage and £590k per draw.
The deeper a team progresses, the more lucrative it becomes, as reported by the Manchester Evening News.
For example, Arsenal have earned £9.3 million for reaching the last 16 and stand to make another £10.6 million if they progress to the quarter-finals.
Should United win the Europa League, they would pocket £35.5 million in prize money this season alone, which could help fund the squad overhaul.
With all that at stake, it’s clear why Amorim and the team will throw everything into the competition.
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