Everton have a real shot at qualifying for Europe for the first time since the 2017/18 campaign this season.
David Moyes has the Toffees within just three points of fifth place – which will be enough to qualify for the UEFA Champions League this term thanks to the European Performance spots.
It means qualification for the UEFA Europa League or UEFA Conference League should at least be possible, even if Everton begin to run out of steam.
A story from iNews has already stated that Everton could spend £100m on players this summer, and European football would be “transformative” as The Friedkin Group prepare to “sanction significant investment” – according to the report.
Adam Williams – Head of Football Finance and Governance Content at GRV Media – has now told Everton News what the difference between both competitions would mean financially, while urging The Friedkin Group to take full advantage of the position Moyes has put the club in.
Seven games left and on 46 points – how many points do you expect Everton to finish on? 🤔
David Moyes, manager of Everton, claps fans after a 3-0 win in the Premier League match between Everton and Chelsea.
Credit: Getty Images/Jorge Horsted/News Images/NurPhoto
Everton urged to invest and gain “sustained presence” in Europe
The finance expert said: “In the Europa League, everyone gets a flat participation fee of about £3.75m. On top of that, the value pillar, which is decided by a club’s five and ten-year coefficients, and the value of the UEFA TV deal in that club’s nation, can be worth up to £7.5m.
“Everton benefit from the UK TV deal, which is one of the most valuable. However, because they haven’t played in Europe for the best part of a decade, they don’t have a strong coefficient. I think they’d be due about £3.5m from that pot, maybe up to £4m depending on a couple of different variables at UEFA level. So before a ball is kicked, the Europa League would be worth about £11m to Everton. In the Conference League, the equivalent figure is about £4m, so there’s a big gap.
MORE EVERTON STORIES
“On top of that, you get prize money per win and draw in the league phase, plus a league ranking bonus and another bonus if you get into the knockouts. In a dream season, Everton could get, say, another £8.5m in league phase prize money in the Europa, compared to about £4m in the Conference. Obviously, they could lose every game and get nothing, too. If we go with a middle-of-the-range figure and assume Everton have an upper-to-mid-table finish in either competitions’ league phase, you’re therefore looking at about £16m in the Europa and only £6m in the Conference.
“On top of that, you also have matchday income. In the Europa, you have a minimum of four matchdays at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. In the Conference, you have three. So there’s a couple of million difference there too. Not all of that is profit, as you still have to pay staff, admin costs and so on.
“All in all, Europa League could be £20m – £25m, plus further prize money as you progress through the competition. The Conference League is considerably lower – maybe £12m with more modest prize money for progression too. You would also get some commercial benefits. Some are quantifiable such as bonuses from sponsors and greater retail sales, and some are more about the brand and what that can do in negotiations with future sponsors.
What more do you want to see from the Friedkins at Everton? 💰
Dan Friedkin's message to Everton fans after completing their takeover.
Credit: Getty Images/Fabio Rossi/AS Roma.
“Without wanting to be a party-pooper, I wouldn’t describe a single season in either competition as financially transformative. If you can have a sustained presence in Europe, that’s where the real difference is. What it does do, however, is give the Friedkins £20m – £25m of funds that they don’t need to provide the club themselves. But on the flip side, you need to have a better, deeper squad to be able to handle European football, so it’s a complex set of calculations that you have to make. The key is for the Friedkins to continue to invest to get Everton into Europe regularly.”
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best Everton content each week direct to your mailbox