United chief in warning to Euro bosses over money

UNITED’S finance chief Cliff Baty has warned against a major overhaul of how money from the Champions League and other European competitions is carved up.

Jacco Swart, managing director of the European Leagues group which represents 37 professional leagues across the continent, including the Premier League, said ‘drastic changes’ are needed to the revenue split when the newly-agreed European club competition formats kick in from 2024.

Revenue for the 2024-27 cycle is understood to have been projected at around £4.1bn and Swart has called for an increased percentage of that to be given in solidarity to non-participating clubs, a greater share to the Europa League and Europa Conference League and a change to how money is divided up within the two premier competitions.

Swart called for a reduction in the percentages awarded in the Champions League and the Europa League based on historical coefficient and the television market pool.

United’s chief financial officer Baty said football’s leaders should not ‘kid themselves’ about where value in the European game was created - by the continent’s top clubs - and that major changes to financial distribution would impact on club sustainability.

“One thing I would say from our perspective is that (the split) gives us a degree of certainty that helps in terms of sustainability, and all the discussions that are happening around financial sustainability and financial fair play in football,” he said.

“If you take that away, it’s going to increase the volatility and it’s going to be more difficult for us to manage.

“And whilst I appreciate the sentiment of wanting to give more money (to smaller clubs and those outside European competition) the pie is getting bigger - (and) the reason the broadcasters are paying that much money is for the product, the Champions League.”