What is the financial impact of Liverpool missing the UCL?
Liverpool ended the Premier League season in fifth place, missing out on Champions League qualification by four points. Unlike their Premier League rivals like Manchester City, Manchester United, and Newcastle United, Liverpool’s owners, Fenway Sports Group, want the club to be sustainable. This means FSG wants to cover the club’s spending on transfers and salaries with the funds it brings in. Missing out on Champions League qualification will limit the amount of money Liverpool and manager Jurgen Klopp have available this offseason. Liverpool will spend the next campaign in the Europa League. The amount of money available in the second-tier UEFA competition is far less than what teams in the Champions League will make. Fans are debating which team will win the Champions League final. Can Manchester City win the trophy for the first time or will Internazionale lift it once more? Fans can visit betwinner bonus code to get information on the latest bonuses before the final kicks off. It isn’t just a lack of Champions League football that will hit Liverpool in the wallet. The Reds lost out on money due to their final Premier League finish. In 2021-22, Liverpool received around £50.4 million for ending the season second in the Premier League. The Reds will likely rake in £35.2m for ending fifth in the competition. The club will miss out on £15m, which could make a significant difference. According to football finance guru Kieran Maguire, the 2023-24 Europa League winner will only receive £20m for winning the competition. Of course, that is for winning the competition. The amount of money in winnings per round will be peanuts compared to the amount of money Liverpool obtained in the previous season playing in the Champions League. Champions League vs Europa League money
Round | Champions League reward | Europa League reward |
Group stage participation | £13.5m | £3.1m |
Group stage win | £2.4m | £313,000 |
Round of 16 | £8.3m | £1.1m |
Quarter-final | £9.2m | £1.6m |
Semi-final | £10.9m | £2.5m |
Runner-up | £13.5m | £4.1m |
Winner | £17.4m | £7.6m |
Despite the lack of money from the Champions League available for next term, Klopp doesn’t expect to lose any players. The club has already allowed four players to leave Anfield due to their contracts expiring. James Milner, 37, was allowed to leave after his contract ended. Roberto Firmino was offered a new deal, but the Brazilian decided to move on.
Midfielders Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, both injury-prone players, also did not renew their contracts. Oxlade-Chamberlain had been a squad player for the last seasons, while Keita was never reliably fit.
Liverpool are in the market for multiple midfielders. The Reds failed to address their ageing midfield last offseason and paid the price for the decision. Instead, Liverpool signed striker Darwin Nunez for a club-record fee. Forward Cody Gakpo was added in January.
A lack of Champions League football will hit Liverpool hard in their pockets. However, it could lead to the Reds battling for the Premier League title once more. This past season, Arsenal competed in the Europa League and pushed Manchester City for the title until the final weeks of the campaign.