The UEFA Champions League boasts some of the most highly paid athletes in the world. It is perhaps no surprise when you consider some 904,6 million euro was distributed amongst the participating clubs over the 2013/14 season. There’s big money to be had by the winners, however, even those who don’t make it all the way to the final stand to take their share.
This lucrative deal also extends to a number of satellite industries surrounding the Champions League. As a recent study undertaken by the travel search engine GoEuro and the football information app Onefootball has highlighted, there are also millions to be made for local business in the tourist trade.
In the latest competition, it has been estimated that around 778,700 fans made journeys across Europe to support their respective teams. This generated a staggering £169,768,300 in tourist revenue for major cities across the continent; considering factors such as accommodation, travel, refreshments and merchandising. Ticket sales were not included within this research.
An illuminating infographic published on the GoEuro website breaks down the revenue with the aim of providing governments with information to better support sustainable tourism. It shows, quite simply, that even those clubs who are knocked out of the competition early on, stand to win big, with each team in the group stages generating around £2,016,300.
So then, whilst the highest paid players might be the ones grabbing the headlines, this latest research suggests that the competition is much more than a fat pay-packet and massive ego. Check out the GoEuro infographic below and see for yourself.
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