England's record six teams in next Champions League set to fuel wealth gap in European soccer

GENEVA — England will send a record six teams into the Champions League next season, further fueling the wealthy Premier League's financial power over the rest of Europe.

Manchester United and Tottenham advanced Thursday to an all-English final of the second-tier Europa League, with the winner of that match earning a place in the next Champions League where the prize money is typically four times greater.

Man United and Tottenham's good results in Europe — while struggling badly in the Premier League — also contributed to English clubs' collectively strong season. Chelsea also advanced Thursday to the final of the third-tier Conference League and will play Real Betis.

''The weight of money in the Premier League means that even malfunctioning teams such as Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham have budgets that are multiples of those of the clubs with which they are competing,'' said Kieran Maguire, a soccer finance expert from The Price of Football podcast.

Premier League teams had weeks ago sealed one of the two bonus Champions League entries which UEFA now awards to the best performing countries each year.

England dominated the knockout phase in European seasons before in 2021, 2019 and 2008, though Spain in 2016 was perhaps best of all.

Rising prize money

England's surge is ideal timing. UEFA's prize money pot for the three competitions grew by 25% to more than 3.3 billion euros ($3.7 billion) this season thanks to new commercial deals for the expanded 36-team format.

Advancing to the Champions League knockout phase should now earn an English club at least 100 million euros ($112 million) from UEFA. The title winner can get 160 million euros ($180 million), compared to Real Madrid's 139 million euros ($156 million) last season.

The highest Europa League earner last year, Bayer Leverkusen, got 41 million euros ($46 million) and that also should rise for Man United and Tottenham.

It adds up to more money going to England this season, more big-earning chances next season — with nine teams overall in Europe, compared to just seven from Germany and Italy — and a virtuous financial circle in the Premier League already awash with money from global broadcast deals.

English soccer's financial juggernaut helped push Real Madrid plus financially ailing Barcelona and Juventus to launch the ultimately failed European Super League four years ago.

How did England get a record Champions League entry?

Since 2018, four guaranteed Champions League spots go to the four countries ranked highest by UEFA based on collective results by their clubs across five European seasons. They have been England, Spain, Italy and Germany since 2008.

The Champions League growing this season to 36 teams from 32 let UEFA, in agreement with the European Club Association, award an extra entry to each of the two countries whose teams do best in the previous season.

This season, England has a huge 28.892 ranking points total, or "coefficient" in UEFA jargon. That's five points, or 17%, more than Spain.

The Europa League winner has had direct entry to the next Champions League since 2015. It is a last-chance option for Man United and Tottenham who are down in 15th and 16th places, respectively, in the Premier League.

Spain was the first country to have five Champions League teams, in 2015-16. Now England has set a new level.

Wenger's rebuke

Former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger suggested this week that Man United and Tottenham did not deserve being lifted up into the Champions League.

''They should qualify automatically for the Europa League again, not necessarily for the Champions League,'' Wenger said on BeIN Sports. ''Especially when you are in a league where you have already five teams that qualify.''

Path to Europa success

Money helps explain, University of Liverpool academic Maguire suggested, why there is an all-English final on May 21 in Bilbao, Spain.

Man United and Tottenham are top-10 clubs in Europe for overall revenue — at $867 million and $693 million, according to UEFA research — and can retain deep squads of players.

''This means they can rotate players around the Sunday-Thursday-Sunday demands in terms of playing intensity and travel that opponents struggle to match,'' Maguire said.

Their beaten semifinal opponents, Athletic Bilbao and Bodo/Glimt of Norway, had combined income last year less than one-third of Tottenham alone.

English ecosystem

UEFA prize money flowing to English clubs often feeds less-wealthy Premier League rivals, who can outbid most of Europe to pay transfer fees and wages.

Talent-rich teams like Bournemouth, Brighton and Crystal Palace can expect more offers for their best players this offseason, and use their money and smart scouting to re-stock squads.

''Clubs seventh to 10th in the Premier League are far more wealthy than the equivalent elsewhere in Europe which helps explain why they have made more progress,'' Maguire said.

These teams shape to be the next English contenders in UEFA competitions.

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