Chelsea could lose £135m in revenue after missing out on Champions League qualification
Chelsea could lose up to £60million in revenue if they miss out on a Champions League place this season.
That is according to former Manchester City financial adviser Stefan Borson, who exclusively told Football Insider the Blues will also see £75m from the Club World Cup drop out of their accounts next season, taking the overall drop in turnover to £135m.
Chelsea enjoyed a successful campaign in 2024-25 after securing a return to the Champions League as well as winning both the Conference League and Club World Cup under Enzo Maresca.
However, the Blues are currently at risk of missing out on a Champions League place, with Liam Rosenior’s side sitting sixth in the Premier League table.
That would have a dramatic impact on Chelsea’s financial situation due to the significant prize money on offer in European football’s elite club competition.
Why Chelsea can't afford 'unexpected' financial dip
Rosenior is facing sack pressure following Chelsea’s recent poor run of form.
The Blues have won just one of their past six Premier League games, while they were beaten 8-2 on aggregate by PSG in the last 16 of the Champions League.
| Liam Rosenior | Chelsea Record |
| Games | 19 |
| Wins | 10 |
| Draws | 2 |
| Losses | 7 |
| Goals For | 40 |
| Goals Against | 31 |
| Goal Difference | +9 |
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Borson discussed the financial repercussions for Chelsea if they miss out on Champions League qualification this season.
“They're not in a position where they've got lots of capacity for unexpected dips in performance financially,” said Borson.
“This season will be a strong year generally. They've got the revenue from the Club World Cup largely in this year. From memory, they had about £15m in the 2024-25 season, which will leave let's say £75m, somewhere in that order, in 2025-26.
“They'll also have something like £90m from Champions League football this season overall with matchday, so it’s very substantial with Club World Cup and annual revenue.”
Why missing out on Champions League will be 'very bad' for Chelsea
Borson insisted it will be “very bad” for Chelsea financially if they fail to qualify for the Champions League this season.
“Now obviously, the Club World Cup drops out for the next financial year,” said Borson.
“But also, if they then drop out of the Champions League, they're probably going to be in the Europa League. I guess the upside there is they should get very deep in it, semi-finals or finals, that will bring them in let's say £30m, so they'll have a net position loss of let's say £60m, so it's very bad for them.
“They are a club that is not in a position where they can take a £60m loss versus this season, added to the £75m loss from the Club World Cup.”
Deloitte’s 2026 Money League revealed Chelsea’s revenue improved from £469m in 2023-24 to £491m last season.