Liverpool Preparing for £30m Drop in Revenue After Dramatic Champions League Exit

Liverpool will bring in somewhere in the region of £30m less prize money this season than last, as a result of their Champions League exit at the hands of Atletico Madrid this week. 

Jurgen Klopp's side were knocked out after losing both legs of their round of 16 tie against Diego Simeone's Atléti, their 3-2 loss at Anfield on Wednesday night confirming that the current European champions will be unable to make it three consecutive seasons in the final. 

The Reds bounced back from their 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in 2018 with victory over a Spurs side nearing the end of their cycle last June, and were favourites to retain their title by the time the knockout rounds started this year. 

The Times report that reaching two European finals in a row meant the club banked around £70m in prize money on both occasions; that £140m earned over the course of two seasons further boosted by extra broadcast revenue. 

This season's premature ​exit in the round of 16 will see them earn significantly less. Progression from the group stage into the knockout rounds brought the club £20.3m, with an extra £10m earned through various performance bonuses. 

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It remains to be seen how detrimental such a financial hit will end up being, especially considering reports that Liverpool intend to make significant investments in this summer's  transfer window in an attempt to bolster their squad – and given the uncertainty surrounding the end of the current Premier League season. 

Klopp's attention will be firmly on the ​Premier League if and when it returns from a coronavirus-enforced break, as his side sit just two wins away from their first top-flight title for 30 years. 

Prior to the news that the Premier League would be suspended until 3rd April, there was a roadmap which could have seen the Reds win the title in the Merseyside derby on Monday night.


Source : 90min