How much will Chelsea lose with Champions League failure?

Suraj Radia

• 7 Mar 2023 11:03 CST
• 2 min read

Chelsea could miss out on a massive windfall if they fail to overcome their first leg deficit and beat Dortmund to progress in the Champions League.

The German side travel to Stamford Bridge with a 1-0 advantage against a Blues side who haven’t scored more than one goal in a game in 2023, although Graham Potter’s men will be buoyed from a much-needed victory against Leeds last time out.

The recent win was just Chelsea’s third since early November and the Blues will need to score at least twice and secure another victory to net a further £9.1 million in prize money for reaching the Champions League quarter finals.

COSTS: The losses Chelsea could face if they fail to qualify for the Champions League

Chelsea have received around £24m in prize money from their performances in Europe this season but there is a potential for a further £36.9m if they repeat their unprecedented 2021 feat of winning the tournament.

The club will also miss out on additional broadcasting and sponsorship revenue from an early exit and the misery could be further compounded should Chelsea also fail to qualify for next season’s Champions League with a top-four finish in the Premier League this year.

Chelsea’s wage bill could DROP upon Champions League exit

However, an exit would also prove somewhat fruitful for owner Todd Boehly with the revelation that most of the players signed by Chelsea in the past two transfer windows have salary variation clauses in their contracts, worth more than 25% in some cases, based on Champions League performance.

Chelsea’s new regime have aimed towards a shift by incentivising player contracts instead of the previous model of paying the salary in full, meaning a European exit could see the club’s wage bill drop.

A poor Champions League performance could affect the club in the transfer market however, with loanee Joao Felix admitting that playing in Europe’s premier competition would affect his decision making over potentially making a permanent move to Chelsea.

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“Yeah, playing in the Champions League is always different. It’s a competition that everyone wants to play,” Felix said. “But now I’m focused on this Champions League, on the game.

“We have a lot of games yet to try to reach the Champions League in the league. It’s not over. But, yeah, playing in the Champions League is an important decision, but the future no one knows, so let’s see what happens and then we’ll see.”