Kieran Maguire: Liverpool facing £70m hammer blow – ‘they will struggle…’
Liverpool could earn £35million from winning the Europa League next year but it does not come close to their Champions League income.
That is the view of finance expert Kieran Maguire, who spoke exclusively to Football Insider about the financial impact of European qualification.
Football Insider sources revealed on Saturday (8 April) that Liverpool earned £105m in prize money from their run to the Champions League final last term.
The Reds lost the final to Real Madrid and missed out on an additional £4m, with the Spanish giants pocketing £117m for their efforts.
However, Jurgen Klopp’s side look set to miss out on Champions League football next season, with the Merseyside club eighth in the table and nine points off the top four with eight games remaining in the season.
Europa League qualification looks most likely for Liverpool this season, and even if they win the competition next year they could face a £70m drop in revenue.
“If Liverpool don’t make the Champions League and have to settle for the Europa League, they could potentially make around £35m for winning the competition,” Maguire told Football Insider.
“That is based on the figures seen in 2021/22 when Eintracht Frankfurt won it.
“In addition, I think for the first few rounds they would struggle to match the ticket prices they could charge in the Champions League so there would be a downsize there.
“If they do win the Europa League next season then they’d qualify for the Uefa Super Cup where they could add more revenue.
“There will also likely be a downturn in terms of costs at the club because most of the big clubs have contract clauses which restrict wages if they fail to qualify for the Champions League.
“At Man United, for example, that drop in wages is around 20-25 per cent.“
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