MANCHESTER UNITED and Tottenham will face off in the Europa League final next week in a battle for a place amongst Europe’s elite.
The winner will earn a spot in next season’s , a reward that is potentially worth in excess of £100MILLION.
Much has been made about whether that prize is suitable or not, given that United and Spurs currently occupy 16th and 17th spot in the Premier League – but aren’t changing their rules for the two underachievers.
, with the lure of the Champions League meaning more top talent could be enticed to join in the summer – not to mention a huge boost to their transfer kitty.
For Spurs, the money would be the cherry on top of the giant cake that is ending their 17-year wait for a trophy.
While United almost NEED to win the competition given their current financial situation, amid a slew of cost-cutting measure by Sir Jim Racliffe and his Ineos team.
Once getting to the Champions League, advancing to the very end could earn up to a potential £95m extra for the eventual winner – but United and Spurs will be aware that their chances of going all the way are slim.
In fact, of the eight different teams that have gained qualification into the Champions League by winning the over the last 10 years, just one has made it to the semi-finals.
That was , who were knocked out of the tournament by eventual winners .
Man Utd entered the competition thanks to their 2017 Europa League success under , only to lost to Sevilla in the Round of 16.
While did the same in 2019 and were kicked out by in the last 16 too.
United and Chelsea are two of six teams that reached the last 16 after qualifying through the Europa League.
While Sevilla have twice failed to advance through the group stages and Atalanta were knocked out of this year’s competition in the qualifying knockout round.
Although it makes for bleak reading for Man Utd and Spurs fans, it’s worth noting that the lure – and cash injection – of playing in the Champions League has helped teams who qualified through the Europa League attract big players.
It was United’s entry to the 2017/18 competition that helped them sign , and in the following summer.
Chelsea were unable to purchase players following their success as they were hit with a transfer ban following academy player rule breaches.
Either way, the prize waiting for the winner of next week’s ‘Hell Clasico’ is something which cannot be underestimated and could have a huge impact on either club for years to come.
