UEFA Release Financial Report for 2023/24

My high level musings on the UEFA money coming into our game

UEFA have released their 2023/24 annual report, with exact figures on how their eye watering €6.77 billion revenue was distributed last season. I am frequently critical of UEFA and their distribution models - the rich always get richer - but they do have to be commended on their reinvestment of funds. Too much of it goes to the biggest clubs, but still - 97% of their net revenue goes back into football. Of course I’d like to see the wealth spread more evenly, especially for a mid level country like ours. They also need to implement their financial sustainability rules more rigorously - like PSG before them, Chelsea will no doubt only receive a fine when they are found to be non-compliant, despite selling their women’s team to themselves for £198m in a transparent attempt to flex the rules to keep themselves compliant.

However UEFA are at least trying to do good. They have consistently increased what is the largest solidarity fund in sport, their investment in women’s football continues to rise, and they take community, education and charitable causes more seriously than they used to. If the failed European Super League was proposed by the bad guys, then although UEFA are definitely not the good guys, they aren’t all bad.

There’s nothing new or surprising in this year’s report. If you have followed me on twitter over the years you’ll know I regularly calculate these payments in advance and break them down by club; this report is merely confirmation of what we already know.

Attached are a couple of graphs with the confirmed figures of distribution to Scottish clubs for last season. Starting with the solidarity payments - the money paid to all clubs that don’t participate in a European League Phase in that season. The figure received by Scotland is exactly as I reported last year. You can read the detail behind Solidarity payments - and the coming increase - in this article, but the key point to remember is this payment to the SFA is substantially more when we do have a club competing in the Champions League (note the 2024/25 figure is not yet known, however will be a significant increase on pervious seasons)