What Champions League means to contenders – financially and emotionally

As the Premier League season reaches its climax, all eyes will be on Sunday’s Champions League competition.

With the title already secured by Liverpool and Southampton, Ipswich and Leicester relegated, the battle is on to join Arne Slot’s champions and Arsenal in qualifying for next season’s Champions League.

With just three points between them, five teams are still fighting for the remaining three Champions League spots, despite Tottenham’s also being qualified by winning the Europa League.

England’s Champions League six is currently in the hands of Manchester City, Newcastle United, and Chelsea, but it has the potential to be a grueling finale with Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest breathing down their necks.

With around £100m up for grabs for the qualifiers – compared to around £30m in the Europa League – success on Sunday means a lot more to certain clubs financially and more to others for emotional reasons.

According to Kieran Maguire, a consultant on football finance, “Most of the clubs’ Champions League qualification is desirable rather than essential, but for some it is more desirable than others,” according to Kieran Maguire.

There may be one or two Premier League clubs that must balance the books by the end of the fiscal year, which is typically June 30th, despite the fact that most Premier League clubs appear to be in a better position than in summer 2024 in terms of compliance with the Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) than in summer 2024.

What are their qualifications?

Manchester City’s only concern is the commission hearing into the Premier League’s allegations of financial misconduct, which has an underlying verdict and potential penalties. If this results in a points deduction then the club may fall out of the Champions League places.

Before the accounts for this season are released, it appears that Manchester City are in the best position for the two years that ended on June 30, 2024, according to Kieran Maguire.

The club will be able to afford a season without the Champions League so easily financially because of the significant player sales they received during that time.

Man City fan Freddie Pye: Qualification for the premier club competition in European football is unfortunately the bare minimum for the modern day Manchester City side.

That does not, of course, diminish the chance of qualifying thanks to a top-five finish this year. Making it to the Champions League would be a remarkable feat when all is considered, given all the struggles the side faced throughout the season’s crucial stages caused by injuries and injuries.

How would it feel to miss out? The most memorable evening in the history of Istanbul was held at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium, so you can only think about that moment.

The only way to get back into the game is to experience it again.

What are their qualifications?:

Maguire: Newcastle did qualify for the 2023-2024 Champions League, and they have a number of players who other clubs deem coveted. Participation in the 2025-26 competition would allow Newcastle to potentially offer lucrative contract extensions to the likes of Alexander Isaak and Bruno Guimaraes, as well as the opportunity to play against the best teams in European football.

Charlotte Reynolds, a Newcastle United fan, says qualification for the Champions League is crucial for a number of reasons. Fans, I believe it has a profound symbolic significance because we made it there two seasons ago. The Champions League is where we want to be and where we belong. The return of huge nights for fans is also a result of the team’s 4-1 win over Paris St-Germain at St James’ Park in 2023, which is a great memory for many.

It means money for the club, and it also means that Sandro Tonali, Isak, and Bruno are more likely to keep their paws on top players. It also means we might be an attractive prospect for other players. Bring your brothers and live in the North-East! There are so many bridges in the world! Play for us!

What are their qualifications?

Maguire: Chelsea initially appear to be relatively safe with profits in the last two years. However, consideration must be taken when examining the club’s results, which include the sale of Chelsea’s women’s team at the end of 2023-24, which generated a £197 million profit.

Chelsea will be in a more difficult position if this figure is removed, especially since the team hasn’t had a front-shirt sponsor for the entire 24/25 season. Participation in the Uefa Conference League is unlikely to have generated significant profits”.

Will Faulks, a Chelsea fan, says that the Champions League selection process is somewhat odd. They have won the competition within the last few years because they have a habit of coming up against them at the last minute.

Scrambling for the “top-four trophy” was something they laughed at Arsenal and Spurs fans for, while they were more focused on Premier League titles races.

It’s difficult to get too excited about just qualifying for the competition in light of that and the fact that the team came in one place from the top of the table at the beginning of the year. Instead of rushing toward the finish line, it has been a rather unhonorable few months.

What are their qualifications?

Aston Villa appears to be the team that faces the biggest difficulties with PSR compliance, according to Maguire. The club did comply with the rules in 2023 and 2024, which was helped in part by the sale of Jack Grealish in 2021, since that transaction was taken into account in the three-year assessment but is no longer included in the figures for 2024 and 25.

Positives for Villa included participation in this season’s Champions League, and the sale of players such as John Duran, Moussa Diaby and Douglas Luiz at substantial profits. Some of the issues that lie ahead would be solved by qualification without a doubt.

For every $100 in revenue generated in 2023-2024, Villa made wages of 91 pounds, which is significantly above Uefa’s target of $70. There are potential sanctions from Uefa for clubs who go above this figure via Uefa’s Squad Cost Rules, but these tend to be financial penalties rather than ones that impact things on the pitch.

David Michael, a fan at Aston Villa, believes that winning back-to-back Champions League titles would be crucial to carry the Unai Emery revolution forward.

In light of ongoing wage pressures and other pressing fiscal issues, it would not only strengthen the club’s position at the top of the table in terms of football, but it would also give the organization a significant financial boost.

What are their qualifications?

Maguire: Since the Premier League eliminated the club’s four-point deduction in 2023-2019, their finances have improved, and qualification is undoubtedly not a must.

Pat Riddell, a Nottingham Forest fan, describes the possibility that Forest are even close to earning a Champions League spot.

Having won the European Cup two years in succession with Brian Clough in 1979 and 1980, and returned to European competition with Frank Clark 30 years ago, it would mean everything to once again welcome the likes of Bayern Munich and Barcelona to the City Ground.