Revealed: how many millions BVB lost from an early CL exit | OneFootball

After the early exit against Atalanta Bergamo, Borussia Dortmund earned significantly less in the Champions League than hoped. The missing millions are particularly noticeable for BVB compared to previous years.

Borussia Dortmund’s early exit from the Champions League was not only felt on the sporting side. The Bundesliga club also suffered a painful financial setback. While Europe’s top clubs once again collected nine-figure sums, BVB fell well short of its own expectations.

According to information from Ruhr Nachrichten, Dortmund’s UEFA revenues for the 2025/26 season amount to a total of around €72 million. The largest share of that comes, alongside the fixed participation fee, from performance-based bonuses as well as distributions from UEFA’s so-called value bonus model. However, the club cannot be satisfied with that amount. Internally, the expectation had been to reach at least the round of 16. By being knocked out in the play-offs, Borussia Dortmund missed its own projections by around €17 million.

The development becomes especially clear in comparison with previous years. In the 2024/25 season alone, around €102 million flowed to Dortmund from the Champions League. A year earlier, when the Black and Yellows had advanced all the way to the final, revenues were even around €120 million.

Atalanta exit costs BVB valuable millions

The gap to Europe’s elite is also striking. Paris Saint-Germain, which successfully defended its title, was able to celebrate around €145 million. Bayern Munich, too, operated in similar dimensions despite being eliminated in the semi-finals and can expect revenues of around €150 million.

Photo: IMAGO

For Dortmund, the elimination against Atalanta Bergamo is therefore doubly frustrating. After the 2–0 win in the first leg, the path to the round of 16 already seemed paved. However, the clear 4–1 defeat in the second leg dashed all hopes and ultimately cost the club millions.

At least Borussia Dortmund remains a regular in Europe’s premier competition. By finishing runner-up in the Bundesliga, BVB once again secured a place in the Champions League and will appear on Europe’s biggest club stage for the eleventh straight time in 2026/27. After the financially disappointing campaign last season, the goal is likely clear: go further on the pitch and significantly increase revenues again.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.