£10m fine for Champions League failure

March 16, 2024Ligue 1

Commercial income for football clubs is a way of life, and that’s as true for the likes of Man United as for those clubs lower down the pyramid.

The further you go in cup competitions – domestic or European – and the higher up the league you finish, the bigger the possibility of earning significant revenue from commercial partnerships.

One of the longest standing and most fruitful of those has been United’s kit partnership with Adidas.

Man United’s £10m penalty for UCL failure

Their current kit deal is worth £750 million but it expires in 2025, and owing to the Red Devils recent downturn in terms of consistent success, the manufacturers have significantly changed the new terms.

According to The Times (subscription required), Adidas will fine United £10m for each season that they don’t qualify for the Champions League.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe needs to ensure the right players are bought so Champions League football is a given each season

It’s one more thing on a very long list of items that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS team need to work through and ensure that the first-team never come close to falling foul of such a penalty clause.