On Tuesday night (December 12), Manchester United officially crashed out of the UEFA Champions League. The Red Devils lost 1-0 to group winners Bayern Munich on Matchday 6, and as a result, finished rock bottom in Group A. Beating Galatasaray 1-0 at Parken, FC Copenhagen joined the Bavarians in Champions League Round Of 16.
When the Champions League draw was made, qualifying out of Group A hardly looked complicated for Manchester United. Sure, they had to face Bayern Munich a couple of times, but the matches against Galatasaray and Copenhagen should have been straightforward. Yet, they somehow dropped eight points in those four games, winning once, drawing once, and losing twice.
Having endured their worst-ever Champions League campaign, the Mancunians’ morale is likely scraping the bottom of the barrel. But that is not the only negative impact of their premature European exile.
What Group Stage Exit Means For Manchester United’s Finances
The Athletic has crunched the numbers to show just how much money Manchester United left on the Champions League table.
Had they managed to finish in the top two in Group A and qualified for the Round Of 16, Manchester United would have earned an additional qualification bonus of €9.6 million ($10.34 million). Winning over two legs in the Round Of 16 would have earned them a further €10.6 million ($11.42 million). A place in the semi-finals, meanwhile, would have allowed United to take home an additional €12.5 million ($13.47 million).
Finally, had they qualified for the final at Wembley, United would have secured a prize money of €15.5 million ($16.70 million), while winning the whole thing would have earned them an additional €4.5 million ($4.85 million).
That is not all. The winner of the UEFA Champions League automatically qualify for the UEFA Super Cup, where they take on the winners of the UEFA Europa League. A place in the UEFA Super Cup is worth €3.5 million ($3.77 million), with the victor snagging a further €1 million ($1.08 million).
In addition to the prize money, every Champions League club receive extra matchday and broadcast revenues.
How Much Have Manchester United Earned From Their Champions League Campaign?
Any club that qualify for the UEFA Champions League receive a base sum of €15.6 million ($16.81 million) from UEFA. In addition to the base fee, clubs get €2.8 million ($3.02 million) for each win and €930,000 ($1.002 million) for each draw.
In their six matches, Manchester United won once, drew once, and lost four times, meaning they earned €3.73 million ($4.02 million) for their performances this season. In addition to the prize money, they will receive a handsome fee from UEFA due to their coefficient status. Being the 11th team on the coefficient rankings, they will receive €12.5 million ($13.47 million) from the governing body.
