Champions League: Liverpool earn £71.9m from last season's run to the final

Gareth Bale scores the first of two goals in Real Madrid's 3-1 win over Liverpool in last season's Champions League final
Gareth Bale scores the first of two goals in Real Madrid's 3-1 win over Liverpool in last season's Champions League final

Liverpool fans might just be getting over the bitter taste of defeat in last season's Champions League final but their run to Kiev earned the club a £71.9m sweetener.

Uefa has released the money paid to last season's Champions League and Europa League teams, and Liverpool top the list of British sides after reaching their eighth final.

Only winners Real Madrid earned more - £78.4m, including a £13.7m bonus for winning a 13th European Cup.

Manchester City earned £56.5m after reaching the last eight, while Chelsea (£57.6m), Tottenham (£54.3m) and Manchester United (£35.7m) only made it to the last 16.

Celtic received £29.6m, which also included money for dropping down to the Europa League after being knocked out at the Champions League group stage.

Chelsea earned more than City despite Pep Guardiola's team going further in the competition by virtue of a higher 'market pool' payment.

This takes into account payments from the host TV broadcaster and the league position in the previous season's Premier League, which Chelsea won.

This also explains why Manchester United received far less as they finished outside the top four in 2016-17 and qualified for the Champions League via winning the Europa League.

The total payments also included bonuses for reaching each stage of the competition and winning games in the group stage.

In total £1.25bn was paid to teams in the Champions League.

Europa League disparity

The figures also outline the importance of reaching the Champions League.

Europa League finalists Marseille earned £20.3m while winners Atletico Madrid earned £14.3m from the Europa League, although they did pocket a further £28m from the Champions League group stage.

Arsenal earned £33.4m for reaching the semi-finals, with £25.6m coming from their 'market pool' payment.

Everton received £12.5m after exiting at the group stage.

In total, £379m was paid to teams in the Europa League - which equates to 30% of money paid to teams in the Champions League.

No wonder the clamour for the Premier League's top four has never been greater.

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