Europe and Conference kicks off, 850 million prizes up for grabs

The Europa League and the Conference League, the two Uefa competitions alternative to the Champions League, kicked off between yesterday and today with the first matches of the 36-team groups. For Italy, Roma and Bologna will play in the first and Fiorentina in the second. The new formula of the two events is similar to that of the main tournament, with 36 participants each and a single classification in the first phase after eight matches (the Conference has two matches less in the group) and subsequent knockout rounds, up to the final. What changes, noticeably, is the overall prize money for the teams. In fact, the Europa league has 565 million euros up for grabs and the Conference just 285 million. In total, that makes 850 million, about one third of the 2.5 billion allocated to the teams admitted to the Champions League, the European cup that attracts the most interest from TV and sponsors.

The revenue will be distributed in the following way: 155 million (27.5%) equally to the 36 clubs; 198 million (35%) according to the club's blazon, i.e. its ten-year ranking, and the market pool, i.e. the value of the domestic TV market; and, finally, 212 million (37.5%) according to sporting performance.

Therefore, Roma and Bologna will get a basic 4.31 million, 450 thousand euros for each win and 150 thousand for draws in the group stage, plus a cheque linked to positioning in the standings (for example, the teams positioned in the first eight places will receive 600 thousand euros). A further 300 thousand will go to the clubs qualified for the play-offs, while qualification for the round of 16 will be worth 1.75 million, the quarter-finals 2.5 million, the semi-finals 4.2 million, the final 7 million, plus a further 6 million for the cup winner.

As far as the Conference League is concerned, the 285 million will be attributed to the 36 clubs with these parameters: 40% (114 million) in equal parts; another 40% will be for sporting performance; and the remaining 20% (57 million). Fiorentina, therefore, will collect 3.2 million for the group stage, plus 400 thousand euros for each win and 133 thousand euros for a draw. Also in the Conference there are prizes linked to the position reached in the standings. Teams that finish in the first eight places and immediately reach the round of 16 will receive, for example, 400,000 euros. In the play-offs, on the other hand, qualifying for the play-offs for the round of 16 will be worth 200,000 euros, jumping to the round of 16 800,000, going through to the quarter-finals 1.3 million, qualifying for the semi-finals 2.5 million, to the final 4 million, where the winning team of the Conference League will receive a further three million euros.

How much can Serie A clubs reasonably collect from the next European campaign? Roma reached the 15th place in the Europa League in the last edition. It survived the play-off against Porto only to lose in the round of 16 to Atletico Bilbao. With the conquest of the round of 16 and without taking into account the box-office revenue, it received a cheque of around 20 million euros from Uefa. Last year Fiorentina reached the Conference League semifinals for the third consecutive year, losing the challenge to Betis Sevilla. A path that allowed the Viola to collect around 18 million.