The 'Champions League', a tournament with prize money larger than the World Cup and Euro
A system where prize money accumulates with each win from the group stage to the final
Tottenham, who reached the final 3 years ago, received 69.45 million euros (about 93.4 billion won)
Son Heung-min is celebrating after scoring the team's fifth goal in the final 38th round match against Norwich City. [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Gun-chan] Tottenham Hotspur, the club of Son Heung-min who scored 23 goals to become the top scorer in the 2021-2022 English Premier League (EPL) season, is also smiling. Tottenham, which qualified for the UEFA Champions League after three seasons, is expected to sit on a gold mine next season.
This season, the main protagonist of the Premier League was Son Heung-min. Scoring 23 goals, he became the first Asian player to win the EPL top scorer title. Thanks to Son Heung-min’s 23 goals in the EPL, Tottenham secured 4th place in the final standings and qualified for the Champions League.
Tottenham, who finished as runners-up after losing to Liverpool in the 2018-2019 season final, has returned to the Champions League after three seasons. It is a return to the "dream stage" that Tottenham players, including Son Heung-min, and fans have long wished for.
For Tottenham, the Champions League is a dream stage in terms of profitability. The Champions League is the tournament with the largest prize money among football tournaments. It offers more prize money than national team competitions such as the FIFA World Cup or the UEFA European Championship, commonly called the "Euro." For example, the 2018 Russia World Cup winner France received $38 million, and the Euro 2020 winner England received ?24 million.
The Champions League has a system where prize money accumulates with each win from the group stage to the final. The 32 teams that advance to the group stage receive €15.25 million. Each win in the group stage earns €2.7 million, and a draw earns €900,000. Then, the first and second place teams in each group advance to the round of 16 to compete for a spot in the final.
The round of 16 awards €9.5 million, the quarterfinals €10.5 million, and the semifinals €12 million in prize money. The final winner receives €19 million. Last season’s Champions League winner, EPL’s Chelsea, received a total of €78.85 million. Tottenham, who reached the final in the 2018-2019 season, received €69.45 million.
In addition to prize money based on performance, the scale of TV broadcasting rights fees is enormous. The 2019-2020 season winner, Germany’s Bundesliga Bayern Munich, earned a total of €125.47 million from the Champions League, including prize money and TV broadcasting rights fees. The winning prize money was €67.2 million, and the TV broadcasting rights fees were estimated to be close to €58.27 million.
Tottenham, finishing 4th in the league, is also expected to receive ranking-based dividends. According to the American sports media Sports Illustrated (SI), the EPL 4th place this season will receive ?37.4 million in ranking dividends, and 5th place will receive ?35.2 million. However, the 4th and 5th place teams participate in different European competitions, so the difference between 4th and 5th place teams is significant.
Purely comparing dividends may not show much difference, but the revenue generated from European competitions shows a large gap. The 4th place team advances to the Champions League, while the 5th place team participates in the Europa League, a tournament one level below the Champions League. Teams in the Champions League group stage receive €13.22 million, while the Europa League group stage teams receive ?3.07 million.
Tottenham, finishing 4th and advancing to the Champions League group stage, will receive ?50.62 million, whereas Arsenal, finishing 5th and participating in the Europa League, will receive ?48.27 million. The dividend difference between 4th and 5th place in the Premier League is ?3.5 million, but based on European competitions, the difference is nearly ?20 million.
Meanwhile, the pockets of Tottenham players including Son Heung-min and manager Antonio Conte are expected to be filled thanks to Champions League qualification. The British Daily Mail reported on the 3rd (local time) that Tottenham will pay incentives to Conte and the players for qualifying for the Champions League.
The players will receive ?3.5 million, and Conte will receive a ?2 million bonus. The incentives paid to players will vary depending on appearances and playing time. Son Heung-min, who played in 35 league matches this season and recorded 23 goals and 7 assists, is likely to receive the highest tier of incentives.
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