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Why It’s Crucial For Serie A Clubs To Advance In The Champions League — And Collect Its Prize Money

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Among Europe’s top-5 soccer leagues, Serie A suffered the largest revenue loss at the hands of the pandemic. The 2019/20 season saw combined revenues of Italian soccer clubs decrease by 18%, topping France’s Ligue 1 (16%), England’s Premier League (13%), Spain’s La Liga (8%) and Germany’s Bundesliga (4%), according to Deloitte’s Annual Review of Football Finance 2021.

When interviewed on Monday by Italian radio show Radio Anchio Sport, Lega Serie A President Paolo Dal Pino lamented that Serie A lost a total of €1.2 billion ($1.4 billion) from the beginning of the pandemic and called for urgent support from the Italian government during these financially-challenging times.

Considering the economic adversities, Serie A clubs have a strong incentive to make a deep run in the highly-remunerative European tournaments, and especially the UEFA Champions League, the competition that every year allocates the largest amount of money to its participants.

Four Italian clubs are currently playing UEFA Champions League soccer - Inter Milan, Juventus, AC Milan and Atalanta. All of them are trying to get past the tournament’s group stage and secure a slot in the knock-out phase, where the prize money becomes particularly rewarding.

Inter Milan: Third In Group D

Inter’s financial situation is particularly concerning, as the club recently posted the largest loss in Serie A history (€246 million, or $286 million) for the 2020/21 period. The club’s announcement came just a few weeks after Juventus had posted losses of €210 million ($245 million), which itself was a record-high amount for the time.

On the field, Inter secured a victory in the latest UEFA Champions League round. They now sit in third position with four points in Group D, which is unexpectedly led by Moldovan club Sheriff.

Because every point collected in the UEFA Champions League group stage is worth €930,000 ($1.1 million), Inter have clinched about $4.4 million halfway through the group stage schedule. Qualifying to the Round of 16, which would require Inter to overtake both Real Madrid and Sheriff on six points, comes with an appealing €9.6 million ($11.2 million) reward.

Juventus: Leading Group H

Of all the Italian teams, Juventus have the highest chance of featuring among Europe’s top-16 teams. 

Massimiliano Allegri’s men have already collected nine points in the group stage, meaning the club has also bagged about $10 million.

Considering that both Juventus and Inter every year invest heavily in their players (they have the most expensive wage bills in Italy) and that they are weathering complicated financial circumstances, making a deep run in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 will provide some kind of financial relief to the clubs’ finances.

In fact, after the Round of 16, the prize money set by UEFA progressively increases in size: $12.4 million is distributed to those teams advancing to the quarter finals, $14.6 to the semifinalists, $18.1 million to the finalists and an extra $5.2 million to the trophy winner.

AC Milan: Zero Points In Three Games

AC Milan, who have returned to the UEFA Champions League after seven years, might have to forgo the privilege of advancing in the competition and collecting the $11.2 million that would come from accessing the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.

The Rossoneri are still pointless in the first three match days of Group B, meaning they have also failed to collect the performance-based prize money that is awarded for wins and draws. To earn a spot in Europe’s elite 16, it is likely that Milan would have to win all the remaining games against Liverpool, Atlético Madrid and Porto.

Looking ahead, getting results on the European stage will be key for Milan to attract world-class players as well as continue to cut the losses that the club had accumulated prior to Elliott Management Corporation’s takeover as the new Milan owner.

Atalanta: Dreaming Of UCL’s Round Of 16

Atalanta are one of the few Italian teams that have managed to remain financially healthy in spite of the adversities brought about by the pandemic: As Calcio e Finanza explains, the Bergamo-based club was able to close 2020 with a positive balance.

Atalanta continue to impress with their performances both domestically and in Europe: They are second in Group F with four points, and last night they almost managed to upset English Premier League giant Manchester United at Old Trafford. The Bergamaschi blew a 2-0 lead and were eventually defeated by Cristiano Ronaldo’s winning header.

A win and a draw have so far earned La Dea a total of $4.4 million in three UEFA Champions League games. Qualifying to the Round of 16 would contribute to another $11.2 million. According to Gazzetta dello Sport estimates, this figure alone represents about a fifth of the net salary of Atalanta’s entire roster.

The next UEFA Champions League round is scheduled for Nov. 2, 2021.

Match Day 4 will give us a better idea of the teams that have a real shot at advancing in the tournament, where they will continue to chase international glory as well as the financial rewards that come with it.

Meanwhile, Serie A returns to action this weekend, featuring some top-of-the-table clashes: Inter are hosting Juventus in the so-called “Derby of Italy,” while league leaders Napoli are traveling to Rome to battle José Mourinho’s AS Roma.

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