Newcastle United will secure a spot in next season's Champions League with a home win against Everton on Sunday afternoon.
Eddie Howe and his players have already written their names into Tyneside folklore by ending United’s 70-year wait for major domestic silverware with their 2-1 Carabao Cup final win against Liverpool. That long-awaited Wembley triumph also ensured the Magpies will compete in the Europa Conference League next season - but Newcastle have their eyes on loftier ambitions as they look to return to the Champions League for the second time in Howe’s managerial reign at St James Park.
Memories of the remarkable home win against this season’s Champions League finalists Paris Saint-Germain and visits to AC Milan’s San Siro and Borussia Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park remain fresh in the mind for Magpies supporters and they will hope to experience life amongst European football’s elite once again when the new season gets underway in August.
Although there is a focus on on-field progress, the financial benefits of qualifying for the Champions League are clear - and there is an additional reason to secure a top five place after UEFA confirmed the 36 teams that secure a spot in their elite club competition will benefit from an increased prize pot worth a cool £2.06bn, compared to this season’s £1.74bn.
Put simply, every club that takes part in the revamped league phase will receive a guaranteed £15.7m, even if they emerge without a point from their fixtures in the competition. Every win will earn an additional £1.8m in prize money and a draw will net £590,000. Finishing in the top eight of the league phase and securing automatic qualification for the round of 16 will see clubs awarded £1.7m. Clubs will also earn extra income based on their position in the league phase, with each spot earning an additional £233,000.
Progressing into the knockout stages is exceptionally rewarding. Quarter-finalists land £10.7m, semi-finalists earn ££12.9m, the beaten finalists receive £15.9m and the eventual winners of the competition are awarded £21.5m. UEFA have also announced a new ‘value pillar’ of payments, which is a bonus system based on a club’s previous success in Europe and how much a country pays for Champions League broadcast rights.
What have football finance experts said about the value of qualifying for the Champions League?
Newcastle United will be hopeful that the Champions League returns to St James' Park next seasonNewcastle United will be hopeful that the Champions League returns to St James' Park next season
Newcastle United will be hopeful that the Champions League returns to St James' Park next season | Getty Images
Speaking to the iPaper last month, football finance expert Kieran Maguire said: “It’s night and day between the two competitions and it is so much more lucrative for Newcastle than last time because the format has been expanded. You’re in the Conference League for the joy of going into European football and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Newcastle fans, if they end up in the Conference League, will have a whale of a time. But you’re in the Champions League for the money, it’s €2m (£1.6m) per victory, €700,000 (£585,000) for a draw and you’re now guaranteed four home fixtures including two against ‘A-grade’ opponents – and therefore, if you’re Newcastle’s hospitality team you can name your own prices for the boxes. If it’s the third-best team in Denmark it will sell out – the weekend proved that – but it will be more modest if it’s Conference League.”
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