FCBARCELONA.CAT

10.07.2007 19:08

Barça top Champions League takings

www.fcbarcelona.cat

FC Barcelona made more money than any other Spanish club in last season’s edition of the Champions League and with total takings of 22.7 million euros were ninth in the overall classification.

This Tuesday, UEFA announced the profits generated by the latest edition of the Champions League and of the three Spanish teams that made it into the group stage, FC Barcelona made the most money, a total of 22.7 million euros.

Ahead of Valencia and Madrid

Barça were the only Spanish side in the top ten in terms of money made out of Europe’s premier club competition. They finished ninth, thus narrowly beating Valencia, who made 22.6 million euros, and lie eleventh, and the twelfth placed Real Madrid on 21 million euros.

The club that took home the biggest pot was champions AC Milan, with 39.5 million euros, while Liverpool, their opponents in the final, made 32.2 million. Curiously, though, that was only enough to place them third, with the team they knocked out in the semis, Chelsea, actually making more out of their European campaign.

The criteria

For the entire 2006-07 Champions League, UEFA shared out a total of 579.6 million euros. Of the income dived between the clubs, half was on a fixed rate and the other half was distributed on the basis of the commercial market value of each of the federations in the tournament.

Each club reaching the group stages received a fixed rate of 2 million euros, with a 400,000 euro bonus per game played, as well as 600,000 euros for a win and 300.000 euros for a draw.

Knockout payments

The 16 teams that made it into the second round, which included FC Barcelona, received 2.2 million euros each. Barça left the tournament at this stage, beaten by Liverpool, and missing out on the 2.5 million euros for the quarter finalists, and the extra 3 million for reaching the semi finals. AC Milan, as champions, netted an additional 7 million, while runners-up Liverpool made 4 million.