Champions League winners PSG pocket US$168m

GENEVA (AP):

Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) topped the UEFA prize money table getting EU144.4 million (US$168 million) last season as the competition paid an extra EU400 million (US$466 million) among Europe's elite clubs in the expanded new format.

The figures were confirmed in UEFA's financial report published yesterday for the 2024-25 season, ahead of its annual congress next month in Brussels.

Inter Milan, the beaten finalists, were also second on the money list earning EU136.6 million (US$159 million) from the UEFA prize fund that shared EU2.47 billion (US$2.9 billion) among the 36 teams which each first played eight games in a single-standings league.

Seven teams got at least EU100 million (US$116.5 million) in prize money compared to five that got a nine-figure payment the previous season, when the total fund had been EU2.08 billion (US$2.42 billion) in the last year of the 32-team, group-stage format.

Aston Villa were the only quarterfinalists last season to get less than EU100 million, earning a UEFA payment of EU83.7 million (US$97.5 million). That was partly explained by Villa's lower UEFA ranking returning to the competition after a 41-year gap.

Real Madrid's quarterfinal loss to Arsenal meant they earned less than EU102 million (US$119 million) from UEFA in the Champions League, which was a drop of EU37 million (US$43 million) from winning the title in 2024. Madrid got an extra EU5 million for winning the UEFA Super Cup against Atalanta, who got EU4 million from that season-opening game.

Inter earned at least twice as much from the Champions League as each of the other four Italian teams in the competition.

Manchester City were the lowest earners of the four English clubs. The reigning English champions got EU76 million (US$88.5 million) after being eliminated in the knockout playoffs round in February by Real Madrid.

The smallest payment to a Champions League team was Slovan Bratislava getting less than EU22 million (US$25.6 million). The champions of Slovakia lost all eight league-phase games.

Europa and Conference money

The steep drop in payments from the Champions League to the second-tier Europa League was shown in title-winners Tottenham getting EU41 million (US$47.8 million).

Beaten finalists Manchester United were paid EU36 million (US$41.9 million) by UEFA last season and will get nothing this time after failing to qualify for any European competition.

The third-tier Conference League paid Chelsea EU21.8 million (US$25.4 million) for winning the title. Chelsea are now in the Champions League.