Euro 2020 – Rich pickings for the few, not the many

For four weeks in June and July, Europe has been kept captive by the delayed Euro 2020 football competition: just-in-time in many countries bars and restaurants have been opening their doors again, allowing for public viewings. As you would expect at such a tournament, there have been some surprises: Switzerland sending the world champions France on their way home and England getting Germany to pack their bags before being beaten by Italy in the final.

You all know the saying, it is the taking part that counts… True, but taking part in the Euro 2020 is also highly lucrative for the participating teams as well as UEFA. Here are a few numbers:

• Each of the 24 teams which qualified received €9.25 million to start with
• At the group stage, the winning team received €1.5 million whereas teams which drew got paid €750,000
• Each of the 16 teams who qualified for the first knockout stage of the tournament will receive €2m
• The eight teams who made it through to the quarter-final of the tournament will receive €3.25m
• The four teams in the semi-final got rewarded with €5 million each
• And the finalist got a final payout of €10 million with the runner-up having been handed over an other €7 million.

The Azzurri, having won all three of their group stage games enroute to the title walked away with an incredible €34 million in prize money. England, meanwhile, won two and drew one of their group matches, meaning they departed as runners-up with a grand sum of €29.75 million. Not bad for a month’s work, and just in case you wonder, the footballers stand to share 40% of their team’s winnings in the form of bonuses.

UEFA bumped up the price money for this year’s competition to €371 million from €304 million in 2016 and is making available at least €200 million for distribution to the football clubs which released players to join their national squads for the Euro 2020 qualifiers as well as the competition. In light of the parlous state of some of these clubs, some of these payments were even made in advance of the Euro 2020 (normally the distribution takes place after the event).

I just hope that not only the national football associations, top league clubs and the already very well paid footballers get to enjoy the Euro 2020 spoils, but that some meaningful funds trickle down to the grassroots teams. Without them many of those gifted players would quite possibly never get discovered.