UEFA: proposal from smaller clubs to redistribute funds: a drastic cut for Italian clubs in the Champions League

The UEC’s proposal, as analysed in detail by Calcio e Finanza and reproduced here, aims to rebalance the system by retaining a share linked to sporting results, whilst redistributing resources not directly linked to performance in a different way.

One of the key points is the elimination of the so-called ‘value pillar’, the mechanism that allocates bonuses based on the value of television markets and clubs’ historical rankings.

Under the new model:

62.5% of revenues would be allocated to participation in competitions;

37.5% would be distributed on the basis of sporting results.

The distribution among the three UEFA competitions would also change:

50% to the Champions League

30% to the Europa League

20% to the Conference League

Based on a total prize fund of over €3.5 billion, the simulation indicates this new distribution:

Champions League: €1.763 billion (currently around €2.467 billion)

Europa League: €1.058 billion (currently €565 million)

Conference League: €705 million (currently €285 million)

The new national redistribution mechanism.

Another significant change concerns the distribution of the participation-based share.

Under the proposed model, these funds would not go directly to the clubs qualifying for European competitions, but would be transferred to the national leagues, which would be responsible for redistributing them amongst all clubs in the league.

In the case of Italy, taking the 2024/25 season’s prize money as a reference, the participation share would amount to approximately €202 million:

85% allocated to Serie A clubs

15% to Serie B clubs

The aim is to reduce the economic disparities between teams participating in the cups and those that do not.

The simulation, based on the results of the 2024/25 season, shows how the new system would drastically reduce the gap between the clubs that earn the most and those that earn the least from UEFA competitions.

However, the effects would vary significantly from club to club.

Among the clubs participating in European competitions, the biggest losses would affect:

Inter: approximately -€68 million

Juventus: around -€47 million

Atalanta: around -€43 million

Fiorentina, on the other hand, would benefit most from the new system, with over €12 million in additional revenue.

Even more significant would be the gain for Serie A clubs not participating in the cups: their revenues would rise from the current €800,000 in UEFA solidarity payments to around €8.6 million each.

According to the UEC, European football is facing a structural problem of competitive balance. Whilst UEFA’s revenues are growing, those from domestic television rights are tending to decline, further widening the gap between wealthy clubs and smaller ones.

For the association, intervening in the revenues of European competitions is the only realistic way to rebalance the system, even if this means taking a portion of resources away from the biggest clubs.

The proposal has been submitted to UEFA, the European Leagues and the European Commission with the aim of opening a debate on the 2027–2031 TV rights cycle.

According to the UEC, without intervention, there is a risk that the big clubs will continue to drift further apart economically from the rest of the European football system. Even slowing down this trend, the association concludes, would already represent a first step towards greater sustainability in European football.