Race for riches leading to chaos

London, May 26: Aston Villa and Derby County face off for the biggest bounty in world football on Monday with the riches of the Premier League guaranteeing around £200 million ($253 million) for the winner of the Championship play-off final.

However, the lure of a Premier League windfall is seeing more clubs in England’s second tier and further down the league ladder gambling by running at huge losses in the hope of making it to the moneybags top flight.

The Premier League released figures for the near £2.5 billion ($3.2 billion) distribution of television rights for the recently completed season on Thursday.

Despite winning just three league games all season, rock-bottom Huddersfield received £96.9 million, while relegated Fulham and Cardiff made more than £100 million. Villa or Derby will be able on similar television income next season, plus

£75 million worth of parachute payments should they go straight back down, and additional revenue from sponsors and ticket sales.

Stay in the Premier League for just one season and they can expect to make around £300 million.

“"There is a new breed of ambitious domestic and overseas owners who see the bright lights of the Premier League no matter the cost,” Kieran Maguire, a lecturer in football finance at the University of Liverpool, told AFP.

However, while the top end of the game thrives, clubs lower down the food chain are struggling badly.

The 20 Premier League clubs made a profit of £304 million in 2017/18, led by

£100 million-plus surpluses for this season's Champions League finalists Liverpool and Tottenham.

In the same season, the 72 teams in the three divisions below in the English Football League (EFL) made a combined loss of

£388 million.