Manchester United's Europa League Semi-final campaign could cost the club an estimated £100m+ if they fail to win the competition, as qualification for the Champions League would significantly boost their revenue streams. With a poor league performance this season, United currently sit 14th, and unless they win the Europa League, it will be their sixth season from the past 13 without a place in Europe's top club competition.
The co-owner of the club, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, recently put an estimated price on Champions League qualification between £80-£100m, while Europa League qualification was worth £40m. Kieran Maguire, a football finance expert, told BBC Sport that a good season in the Champions League can be worth far in excess of £100m, including gate receipts, sponsor bonuses, and prize money.
Even with United's patchy Champions League qualification, the lowest they earned from European football in five campaigns between 2019-2024 was about £52m, from last season's group-stage exit in the Champions League. Since then, Uefa's major revamp of its three competitions has dramatically increased the prize pot, which Maguire says would guarantee United a minimum £70m from Champions League participation next season, even if they lost all of their eight league-stage fixtures.
The loss of Champions League qualification would also affect matchday income, with an estimated £6m return on each home match potentially lost. Commercial deals, such as the £10m Adidas kit manufacturing deal, would also be impacted, although the extent of this impact is not clear.
With an overall debt hovering at about £1bn and losses over the past five years totaling more than £370m, the financial picture for Manchester United is already concerning. The club has made significant staff redundancies and unveiled plans for a £2bn stadium, but the sobering reality of anything other than Europa League glory in May would make an already tough task to turn United around even harder.
Source: BBC Sports Football
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