WeeklySA_AdminCAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: PIRATES SAIL PAST MADAGASCAR’S DISCIPLES AND NOW AWAIT JWANENG AND AFRICAN STARS
By Sports Reporter
Should Orlando Pirates or Mamelodi Sundowns go all the way to win the CAF Champions League they stand to pocket a cool R72-million prize which could reach in excess of R100-million.
Pirates made their intention clear they want it all when they disciplined a stubborn Madagascar outfit Disciples FC 4-nil at the Orlando stadium on Friday night. The teams had played to a goalless draw in Madagascar last Sunday.
The Madagascan outfit despite their stoic efforts may have slipped on a banana peel, but will go back to Antananarivo with their bank balance R900 000 (USD 50000) in the black. Pirates also pocket the same amount for their mere participation in the preliminary stages of the competition.
CAF president Patrice Motsepe had promised to improve club competitions and provide more financial assistance to clubs, “the [teams] participating in the Preliminary Stages of the Caf Champions League and Caf Confederation Cup will receive USD 50000 (Approximately R900,0000) each,” CAF said on their website. Both the Caf Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup are prestigious club competitions drawing top African clubs and millions of fans.
Teams taking part in the continental tournaments often walk away with large payouts from the CAF Champions League prize money pot.
In the 2024/25 chapter of the CAF Champions League the competition’s runner-up will receive R36-million, half of the amount of the winner. The semi-finalists will be rewarded R21 million while the quarter-finalists will go home with R16 million. The remaining two teams in the group will each receive R13 million.
The winners of the the CAF Confederation Cup champions stand to receive R36 million as a reward for their efforts, while the runner-up will receive half that amount. Semi-finalists are guaranteed R13 million, and quarter-finalists will receive R10 million. The two teams at the bottom of the group will each get R7 million. The CAF website does not indicate whether matchday revenues and TV rights are some of the other revenues participating clubs can expect to get in the tournament.
Contrast this to the UEFA Champions League which has seen a significant increase from the 2023/24 season, when the winners received $21.8 million equal to approximately R 386,132,500.0012 , the Champions League payout for the 2024/25 season will be approximately $27.2 million about R481 780 000,00 UEFA has pledged to pay the participating clubs at least $2.65 billion.
This is a significant increase from the $2.21 billion (R 39,144,625,000.001), which has been in place for the past few seasons. In addition to performance payouts, all participating clubs are awarded Champions League qualifiers prize money. The qualification payout for the 2024/25 season will be $20.2 million (R357 792 500,00).
Therefore, if a club were to win all the matches (from the league phase to the finals), it would walk away with around a whooping $109.9 million approx. R1,946,603,750 . Likewise, a runners-up can receive up to $104.5 million (R1 850 956 250,00), a semi-finalist up to $82.8 million (R1 466 595 000,00) and a quarter-finalist up to $66.4 million (R1 176 110 000,00).
Clubs eliminated in the round of 16 can also earn up to $52.73 million (R933 980 125,00). On the other hand, a least-performing team (eliminated without a single win or draw in the league phase) can still walk away with $21.41 million (R379 224 625,00). Other Revenues Earned by Clubs Participating in the Champions League Matchday revenues and TV rights are some of the other revenues participating clubs can expect to get in the tournament. The prize money payout is not the only Champions League revenue European clubs enjoy. Other forms of income for participating clubs include:
Co-efficient Payout
30% of the Champions League prize money is set aside for coefficient payouts to the participating clubs. The money is shared among the teams based on their coefficient ranking, calculated based on the club’s performance in the previous seasons. Under the current 2024/2025 season, the participating clubs will be ranked from number 1 to number 36, with each position worth one share.
Lastly, clubs participating in the UEFA Champions League earn matchday revenues from gate ticket sales and hospitality fees. The revenues depend on the number of fans attending and can be very lucrative, with top clubs earning as much as $3.8 million during home matches.
Therefore, considering all the payouts, a club that wins the UEFA Champions League in 2024/25 can receive upwards of €150 million nearly R3-billion ( R2 973 045 000,00). Winners of both CAF Champions League and CAF Confederations Cup and two others one via ranking pathway automatically qualify for the FIFA Club World Club to be held in the USA next year.
