© EuroFootball.com
"Arsenal" success in the Champions League helped the "Gunners" surpass "Chelsea" in terms of monetary prizes and revenue from television broadcasts during the 2005/2006 season.
The Premier League champions, London's "Chelsea," earned £47.5 million, while "Arsenal" so far have added £52.7 million to their account. "Liverpool" received revenues from television and cash prizes totaling £43.2 million, while eternal rivals "Man Utd" earned £39.9 million.
It is worth mentioning that more than half of the money received by "Arsenal" comes from participating in the Champions League – indeed, a victory in the final against "Barcelona" would increase this amount by another two million pounds.
"Tottenham" leads among the teams not competing in the Champions League, although their revenue only reaches £26.2 million, which is just half of the sum earned by their fiercest rivals from North London.
"In modern football, the Champions League is like a cash cow, so it is vital that the big clubs play in this tournament. I'm not just talking about revenues from television broadcasts or cash prizes, playing in the Champions League is crucial for the club's image, merchandise sales, and attracting sponsors," explained finance specialist Henry Potts.
Liverpool's performance in the FA Cup final and the Champions League knockout rounds helped them earn more revenue than "Man Utd." On the other hand, "Middlesbrough's" success in the UEFA Cup only added £5 million to the club's account.
Premier League clubs' revenues in the 2005/2006 season (cash prizes and television broadcast revenues, revenues from attendance and merchandise sales not included):
"Arsenal" - £52.7 million* "Chelsea" - £47.5 million "Liverpool" - £43.2 million** "Man Utd" - £39.8 million "Tottenham" - £26.2 million "West Ham" - £24.4 million** "Middlesbrough" - £24.3 million "Newcastle" - £24.0 million "Bolton" - £23.7 million "Blackburn" - £23.6 million "Wigan" - £22.9 million "Everton" - £22.4 million "Charlton" - £21.0 million "Man City" - £20.6 million "Fulham" - £20.3 million "Aston Villa" - £19.6 million "Birmingham" - £19.4 million "Portsmouth" - £18.0 million "West Brom" - £16.9 million "Sunderland" - £16.1 million * "Arsenal" will earn an additional £2 million if they win the Champions League ** One million pounds will go to the FA Cup winner
