Even though Chelsea won the UEFA Europa Conference League this season, Arsenal made more money than any other English club from European football.
Chelsea played very well in the final held in Wroclaw, Poland. They beat Real Betis 4-1 with goals from Enzo Fernandez, Nicolas Jackson, Jadon Sancho, and Moises Caicedo. This was a great win for Chelsea’s new coach, Enzo Maresca, and it gave the club its first trophy since 2022.
By winning this trophy, Chelsea became the first English team to have won all three main UEFA competitions: the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League. But the prize money from the Conference League is much smaller than from the other two tournaments.
According to Football London, Chelsea earned about €22 million in total from the Conference League. This includes money from the group stages, bonuses for their performance, and the prize for winning the final.
On the other hand, Arsenal earned almost six times more, making around €117 million by reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time since 2009. Even though they lost to Paris Saint-Germain with a 3-1 score on aggregate, Arsenal’s money earnings were about €95 million more than Chelsea’s total from the Conference League win.
This shows the big difference in money between the Champions League and other European tournaments. Even without winning a trophy, Arsenal’s earnings prove how much money the Champions League can bring.
Chelsea fans quickly responded on social media, making fun of Arsenal fans for not winning any trophies and saying that winning a trophy is more important than money.
One Chelsea fan said, “You say this because you didn’t win a cup. I know you’re an Arsenal fan.” Another fan added, “It’s not all about money. The goal is to win a trophy.”
Another comment was, “Keep your Champions League money. We’ll keep our Conference League trophy. The set is complete. Arsenal fans will celebrate money.”
Some fans even joked, “Make them spend the money to buy a European trophy.” Another asked, “How many trophies has Arsenal won?”
While Arsenal earned the most money from their Champions League run, Chelsea finished the season with a real trophy. This shows that although the Champions League is very good for money, winning trophies is what many fans value most.
