UEFA make £2.1bn Newcastle United announcement

Newcastle United seems poised to earn a minimum of £37 million from their participation in this season’s Champions League group stages, marking a significant financial gain. However, UEFA’s new revenue distribution model, implemented for the 2024-2027 cycle, indicates that future earnings from the competition won’t be as lucrative. Despite this, Newcastle could stand to gain substantially higher revenues should they qualify for the Champions League again in the upcoming years.

The current cycle, which saw Newcastle’s return to the Champions League group stages after more than two decades, is the last under the existing revenue distribution system. The new cycle, approved by UEFA’s executive committee in Paris, includes a projected threshold of €4.4 billion (£3.75 billion). Among this, a portion will be designated for non-participating clubs and those in the qualifying rounds, with additional funds allocated for the UEFA Women’s Champions League and UEFA Youth League.

 

 

The majority of the revenue will be shared between participating clubs and UEFA, with approximately €2.47 billion (£2.1 billion) earmarked for Champions League clubs. This sum will be distributed based on three main criteria: equal shares, performance, and value. Notably, performance and equal shares have seen increases compared to the current cycle, while the value component is lower than the combined market pool and coefficient allocations from before.

Giorgio Marchetti, known for overseeing the group stage draw, presented these changes during the UEFA congress, highlighting the substantial increase in revenue under the new distribution system.

For Newcastle, returning to the Champions League holds significant importance. Despite trailing in the Premier League standings, the club remains in contention for European qualification. Manager Eddie Howe remains optimistic about achieving targets, emphasizing the importance of consistent performance. Newcastle’s CEO, Darren Eales, reaffirmed the importance of establishing a presence in European competitions for the club’s future success.