That was just ahead of beaten finalist Manchester City,
which received just over 119 million euros ($125.6 million) from a total fund
of nearly 1.9 billion euros ($2 billion) shared by the 32 Champions League
clubs. That total has risen to more than 2 billion euros ($2.1 billion) for the
current and next two seasons.
Semifinalists Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain each got
almost 110 million euros ($116 million), the only other clubs to earn a
nine-figure sum from UEFA.
Chelsea’s total was at least 35 million euros ($37 million)
more than Barcelona and Juventus, who lost in the round of 16 and then helped
in the failed attempt to launch a Super League, which was designed to be more
lucrative for top clubs.
Barcelona and Juventus were key leaders of the project which
saw 12 elite clubs try to break away from UEFA control to create their own
competition.
The UEFA list shows Barcelona earned less than 85 million
euros ($90 million) and Juventus got less than 83 million euros ($88 million).
Barcelona, Juventus and Madrid are still pursuing a legal
case against UEFA at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.
The nine other Super League members, including Chelsea and
Man City, quickly renounced the project amid fierce public backlash, leading to
its collapse within 48 hours.
The lowest payment to a Champions League club was 18.45
million euros ($19.5 million) to Hungarian champion Ferencváros, which lost
five of its six group-stage games.
Ferencváros received just 1.1 million euros ($1.16 million)
from UEFA’s 585-million euro ($618 million) fund rewarding clubs for their
historical record in European competitions. In contrast, 13-time European
champion Real Madrid was paid 35.5 million euros ($37.5 million) from that
fund.
Those “coefficient” payments began in 2018 after pressure on
UEFA from the European Club Association, which was then strongly influenced by
the clubs who later tried to create the Super League.
The wealth gap between the Champions League and second-tier
Europa League was again clear. The Europa League’s prize fund for clubs was 541
million euros ($571 million) — about 28% of the Champions League sum.
Europa League winner Villarreal got 33.1 million euros ($35
million) and the team it beat in the semifinals, Arsenal, earned just under 30 million
euros ($31.6 million).
Manchester United, which lost the Europa League final after
placing third in its Champions League group, received a total of 79.6 million
euros ($83.6 million) from both competitions.
From the Champions League fund, 8 million euros ($8.4
million) was paid to the ECA, which represents nearly 250 clubs who play in
UEFA competitions.
Each club had about 5% of its prize money deducted as part
of a five-year agreement with UEFA to pay refunds to UEFA broadcasters and
sponsors for disruption in the pandemic-hit 2019-20 season.