Sunderland’s Europa League windfall after Chelsea win and seventh place | OneFootball

Sunderland will play in the Europa League next season after a 2-1 win over Chelsea sealed seventh place on Sunday. The result brings a major financial lift.

According to Sunderland Echo, it is likely to bring about £20 million overnight. The Europa League offers far greater rewards than the Conference League.

Sunderland qualify straight into an eight-game league phase, meaning at least four lucrative home ties. Last season UEFA paid £389,000 per win and £130,000 per draw in the league phase, plus £3.7 million for reaching the knockouts. English clubs also receive the largest TV market share, which could add a few million.

A deep run could be worth another £20 million in prize money. It is estimated Spurs earned over £40 million from last season’s triumph, with Aston Villa set for similar sums this year.

European football brings costs and tighter rules. Clubs in UEFA competitions can spend only 70% of revenue on first-team costs, compared with 85% for Premier League sides not in Europe. Florent Ghisolfi must deepen the squad while staying within those limits.

The Chelsea win also boosts Premier League distributions. Each place is estimated at about £2.5 million, and with both clubs able to finish between seventh and 12th, the result was worth roughly £10 million.

For context, Nottingham Forest earned over £152 million for finishing seventh last season, while Crystal Palace took just over £136 million for 12th. This was a crucial victory on and off the pitch.

Source: Sunderland Echo