Aston Villa: NSWE edge closer to potential £70m windfall as Champions League boost revealed
Aston Villa have received a boost in their pursuit of a return to Champions League football this season.
Unai Emery’s side currently sit fourth in the Premier League table, five points above fifth-place Liverpool heading into the final seven games of the campaign.
More importantly, Villa have built up a six-point gap to sixth-place Chelsea, with five Champions League places now confirmed for top-flight clubs again this season.
The fifth spot was secured after Arsenal beat Sporting Lisbon 1-0 in the first leg of their quarter-final clash on Tuesday (7 April), ensuring England will finish in the top two of Uefa’s coefficient ranking.
Qualifying for the Champions League would provide a significant boost to Aston Villa’s financial situation due to the rewards on offer in the elite European club competition.
How much could Aston Villa earn from Champions League qualification?
Villa could make it two seasons out of three where they have qualified for the Champions League, having competed in the competition in 2024-25.
The West Midlands giants reached the quarter-finals last season before being knocked out by eventual winners PSG.
| Team | Chance of Champions League qualfication |
| Arsenal | 100% |
| Manchester City | 99.98% |
| Manchester United | 85.74% |
| Aston Villa | 75.86% |
| Liverpool | 23.75% |
| Chelsea | 10.57% |
Villa banked around £70million in prize money from the Champions League, helping them post a new club-record revenue for the campaign.
While reaching the latter stages of the competition again next season is by no means a given, they are guaranteed to rake in a considerable amount of cash purely by qualifying.
The Villans would also earn more from Uefa’s value pillar system after competing in European competitions in each of the past three campaigns, improving their coefficient ranking.
How much have Aston Villa earned from the Europa League?
Although Villa are well placed to qualifying for the Champions League domestically, they do have another potential route.
Emery’s side are set to take on Bologna in the quarter-finals of the Europa League, with the first leg taking place in Italy on Thursday (9 April).
If they can win the second-tier competition, that would automatically secure their place in the Champions League for next season.
Villa have earned around £20m in prize money from the Europa League this season, providing a clear indication of the difference in financial rewards between the two competitions.
However, any extra income is welcome as Villa Park chiefs continue to find ways of improving the club’s overall revenue.
Villa’s turnover increased dramatically from £276m in 2023-24 to £378m following their exploits in the Champions League last season.