Manchester United have potentially missed out on much more after losing the Europa League final, while Tottenham could reap rewards well into nine figures.
The consequences of this result – Tottenham Hotspur one, Manchester United nil – could reverberate for years to come, affecting each club’s revenue, the players they can attract, and how they plan for the future.
“We have two plans, even for the market, and we have to understand it’s tough for a club like ours not to be in the Champions League,” Ruben Amorim admitted after the defeat.
And, according to the Financial Times, United’s shares fell by seven per cent following the damaging defeat in Bilbao.
This equates to around £160m in total value in what is a major blow to the Glazer family and Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
This has understandably left many concerns over the financial future of United given the club has posted net losses of more than £370m in the five years up to June 2024.
Ratcliffe has already embarked on a savage redundancy program at the club since become a part-owner last year, with 250 staff sacked, while 200 more are currently at risk of losing their jobs having been informed in meetings earlier this month.
And, it was reported on Thursday that Ratcliffe was booed by United staff at a screening of the Europa League final as he presses ahead with the latest round of job cuts.
Given the further financial blow of missing out on Europe for 2025-26, there are worries about the British billionaire implementing more cuts.
Meanwhile, alongside the impact on United’s share value, Mail Sport also calculated the potential lost income to the club in several other areas following the final.
First of all, there’s the immediate shortfall of being the runners-up rather than the winners. Then, there’s the lost prize money, matchday income, and sponsorship deals from the Champions League campaign that they have not qualified for.
Winning the Europa League bags you £10.95m in prize money, while the losing finalists earn £5.9m, so there’s an immediate disparity of £5.05m.
There’s also qualification for the European Super Cup, which is worth a minimum of £3.4m, and up to £4.25m if you win.
