Manchester United are hoping to qualify for the Champions League this season.placeholder image
Manchester United are hoping to qualify for the Champions League this season. | AFP via Getty Images
Man United need European football, but just how much is the Champions League really worth to the Red Devils?
Man United don’t have any excuses for the remainder of the season with Michael Carrick having only one objective – qualify for the Champions League.
It isn’t just about prestige. It is where all the top players want to be to the extent that some, like Adam Wharton’s £60m transfer clause, are only eligible to those in the elite competition.
Should the former United midfielder get the job done, he would also strengthen his claim of getting the job on a permanent basis. With no FA Cup, no Carabao Cup and no European games, the top four and the riches that it brings is all that matters.
Why Man United must qualify for the Champions League
Financial fair play and profit and sustainability rules dictate how much money can be spent, therefore, it has never been more important to make as much revenue as possible each season. Losing out on European football doesn’t just affect fans, it affects the club where it hurts most, in the transfer market.
UEFA’s finances are heavily weighted in favour of the Champions League and United will be hoping that sacking Ruben Amorim has improved their chances of returning to the promised land.
Carrick has made a positive start, but just how much is it worth to United to make the top four, or maybe the top five depending on the rest of the European season and how English clubs perform?
Speaking to BBC Sport before the Europa League final last year, football finance expert Kieran Maguire explained just how important getting into the Champions League is for clubs like United: "A good season in the Champions League can be worth far in excess of £100m. By the time you combine gate receipts, sponsor bonuses and the prize money available, the numbers involved are eye-watering.
"A modest set of results of three wins, three draws and two defeats, and a 10th-place finish, would therefore generate £13m. A perfect set of results in the group stage would earn £22m.
"The prize money is enhanced by UEFA's 'value pillar' linked to a club's European competition success over the past five years and the amount the domestic broadcaster (Amazon/TNT in the UK) pay for the rights. Manchester United are probably about 12th in the UEFA rankings and could therefore expect to earn at least £1m per position out of the 36 teams in the Champions League, so this could be worth another £24m.
"The rewards start to accelerate once a club reaches the knockout stage, with about an extra £20m, for example, for reaching the quarter-finals and £54m for the winners. A modest run to the quarter-finals is therefore likely to generate a possible UEFA payout of £73m from prize money alone."
How much could United make in total?
Prize and participation money from UEFA aren’t the only factors at play. United, by the time the season ends, will have played 40 games down from 52 last year and 60 in 2023/24, the shortest campaign in 111 years.
It might be good for the players and their bodies in a World Cup year, but it isn’t good for the coffers, as Maguire explains: "A £6m return on each home match is therefore feasible.” Based on United’s average Champions League ticket price.
“There are a minimum of four and maximum of eight home fixtures, including knockout stages - so that's between £24-48m lost in matchday revenue."
Maguire then goes on to discuss the financial penalties linked to commercial deals such as the one with Adidas that sees £10m wiped off the total of the contract for each season that there isn’t any Champions League football.
As a total ball park figure, a club the size of United’s with a stadium like Old Trafford, could easily expect to clear £150m if they make the last 16 or quarter-finals. No wonder they are so desperate to qualify.
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