Liverpool Outshines Man Utd and Arsenal with £53 Million Champions League Windfall Ahead of Group Stage Draw

LIVERPOOL have already banked a staggering £53m from the Champions League – BEFORE Thursday’s initial draw.

The Anfield side leads the list of the Prem cash earners, despite finishing FIFTH in the top flight table last term.

remain marginally ahead of in the pre-season money list, despite the Gunners’ title triumph.

And while Manchester United’s return to the Euro elite after a two season absence is worth just under £45m up front, the side have only earned £500,000 more than .

Uefa splits its annual £2.1 bn prize pot into a number of components, with more than 60 per cent doled out once the competing clubs are confirmed.

All 36 teams in the draw when Uefa chiefs unveil the fixtures in Monaco on Thursday evening are guaranteed £15.9m at current exchange rates.

The clubs then share £730m in a complicated two-part “value pillar” system.

Some 73 per cent of that total – £533m – is split by a system that combines the value of each country’s TV deal with European results over the past five seasons.

Holders PSG benefit from both France’s TV contract – held until the end of this season by Canal+ – being the biggest in Europe, followed by the deal with TNT Sport and the BBC in England, and their on-field success.

Liverpool end up second overall in that calculation, with City fourth, Arsenal fifth, Aston Villa – after their triumph – ninth and 11th.

Fixtures Results Table

Friday 28 August

Palace

20:00

EPL

Man City

Saturday 29 August

Liverpool

12:30

EPL

Forest

Bournemouth

15:00

EPL

Everton

Coventry

15:00

EPL

Hull

Spurs

17:30

EPL

Newcastle

Monday 24 August

Sunday 23 August

Saturday 22 August

English Premier League Pld Pts GD W D L Form

1

1

3

4

1

0

0

2

1

3

3

1

0

0

3

1

3

3

1

0

0

4

1

3

2

1

0

0

5

1

3

2

1

0

0

6

1

3

1

1

0

0

7

1

3

1

1

0

0

8

1

3

1

1

0

0

The 36 clubs then share a further £197m based on a 10-year coefficient score of European performances.

Bayern, who earn £10.7m, get the biggest share, ahead of third-placed City, Liverpool in sixth, Arsenal eighth and United 10th.

In all, that takes Liverpool’s earnings to £53.1m, with City on £52.4m, Arsenal £50.1m and United £44.8m.

Winning all eight league stage games and going on to triumph in the Final in Madrid would bank a further £79m.

Despite their Europa League triumph last season, Villa are likely to be 26th in those 10-year rankings, worth just £3.3m, and taking their prize money to £41.7m..

But Unai Emery’s side boosted their income by picking up £2.6m despite losing to PSG in the Uefa Super Cup Final in Salzburg earlier this month, with their overall Uefa earnings at £44.3m before a ball is kicked.

The Midlanders’ income also shows the benefit of regular European football, with Newcastle having only picked up £25.4m at this point last term despite earning their spot in the Uefa elite.

PSG, who added £3.4m for their win over Villa, start with a massive £57.9m banked.

The day’s draw will see Arsenal, Liverpool and City in pot one, with Villa and United in the second group of nine teams.

But the new format, now in its third season, means all clubs play two teams from each pot in the eight-match initial phase, with the top tier completed by , Inter, and .

Clubs cannot play a team from their own country until the knock-out phase begins in the spring.

Prize money is set to increase by around 35 per cent next season, when Paramount will take over the Champions League in the UK for four years with Sky Sports showing the Europa and Conference Leagues.

The overall value of the English deal will overtake France, expected to add even more extra income to Prem sides who qualify.