The latest issue of the online publication UEFA Direct makes very interesting reading.
Page 6 outlines exactly how much each club got for participating - and why - and it just shows how important the Champions League is to the budgets of the clubs.
The top payouts went to the sides that progressed furtherest, as you might expect, with AC Milan getting €38.5m and Liverpool €34.6m.
But even group easy-beats like Levski Sofia received €5.5m just for making the group stage - even though they lost all 6 group games.
Another big factor was the size of the TV market - with Arsenal receiving €19.2m compared to FC Porto's €11.5m despite having very similar records and both going out in the second round - due to the lucrative UK TV market.
And what about the UEFA Cup? How does it compare?
Well it really is a second teir competition with winners Sevilla earning just €6.2m for winning the whole thing (barely more than Levski Sofia) while if you were eliminated before the UEFA Cup group stage you made less than €0.5m for your efforts.
As you can see participation in the Champions League is all important for the financial future of football clubs - and it's no wonder that the pursuit of 4th place is considered more important than a Carling Cup or FA Cup in England.
Without the regular flow of money - the big clubs turn into "sleeping giants" ... like Newcastle or Tottenham
;-)
RELATED LINKS :
The UEFA main website
The GoonersGuide.com UEFA club football betting previews.
