Aston Villa will first need to go through a play-off game in the Europa Conference League to reach the group stages of the competition. However, if they do succeed, it will guarantee the club a minimum of €2,940,000 prize money, based on the 2022/23 rate. This amount is approximately what the club would earn by increasing Villa Park season ticket prices by 15%. It’s unfortunate that they didn’t prioritize finding ways to generate additional income on the pitch instead of burdening their fans, especially during challenging economic times.
With additional monies for every draw and win in the group stages of the Europa Conference League, for where a team finishes in the group, and then for each round subsequently navigated, the prize money soon mounts up.
Before they kicked a ball in this year’s final, West Ham had banked £9.09 million on the route to Prague. They then won an additional £4.31m for beating Fiorentina 2-1 to win the tournament.
You’d expect the prize money to go up further (although not by 15%) for the 2023/24 season, when Villa take part.
Europa Conference League Prize Money 2022/23
- First qualifying round elimination: €150,000
- Second qualifying round elimination: €350,000
- Third qualifying round elimination: €550,000
- Play-off round elimination: €750,000
- Qualified to Group Stage: €2,940,000
- Match won in Group Stage: €500,000
- Match drawn in Group Stage: €166,000
- 1st in Group Stage: €650,000
- 2nd in Group Stage: €325,000
- Knockout round play-offs: €300,000
- Round of 16: €600,000
- Quarter-final: €1,000,000
- Semi-final: €2,000,000
- Runner-up: €3,000,000
- Champion: €5,000,000
Champions League Reward Comparison
While advancing past the group stage in the Europa Conference League may bring some additional revenue to Villa, it pales in comparison to the rewards offered by the Champions League. A team can earn nearly six times the amount for winning a group game in the Champions League compared to the Conference League.
The cumulative rewards of a successful Champions League campaign quickly accumulate, with a quarter-finalist receiving over twice the amount that West Ham earned for winning the Europa Conference League.
That’s why Villa’s owners are ultimately focused on breaking into Europe’s elite competition, as the revenue it provides is truly transformative.
Villa’s 2023/24 Focus
It’ll be interesting to see how Villa’s focus changes in terms of next season’s Europa Conference League, depending on how well they’re doing in the Premier League. If they continue their league form under Unai Emery into the start of next season, then their European commitments may become secondary with squad rotation utilised.
Still, it’ll be a very useful fall back option, if they remain in the tournament, if their league form does slip at any stage in the new year.
Whatever the prize money situation, for supporters of teams outside the usual suspects, actually winning silverware remains priceless.
Champions League Prize Money 2022/23
| Winner | €20 million |
| Runner-up | €15.5 million |
| Semi-finalist | €12.5 million |
| Quarter-finalist | €10.6 million |
| Last 16 | €9.6 million |
| Group-stage win | €2.8 million |
| Group-stage draw | €930,000 |
| Qualifying for group stage | €15.64 million |
| Third qualifying round | €500,000 |
| Second qualifying round | €400,000 |
| First qualifying round | €300,000 |
