Manchester United face a stunning £50 million hit if they fail to qualify for the Champions League. The Daily Star says United are currently in ninth place in the Premier League and would need to finish fourth to win a place in the lucrative Champions League or fifth for the consolation prize of the Europa League.
The financial implications of failing to make it into Europe are serious, especially as the club budgets on reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
United stand to miss out on:
- £35m in prize money, bonuses and TV market pool share from UEFA for the Champions League.
- £10m in match-day earnings - based on having four fewer home games.
- £5m - merit money from the Premier League would be around £10m compared to the £15.1m earned from winning the title last season.
Qualifying for the Europa League would soften the blow slightly, with around £3m coming from UEFA and match-day income retained, meaning an overall £32m drop.
