London, Champions League winner Chelsea topped UEFA’s prize money list for last season while traditional powers Juventus and Barcelona lagged far behind in a campaign during which they spearheaded efforts to launch a more lucrative Super League.

Chelsea earned nearly 120 million euros ($126.5 million) from a total fund of nearly 1.9 billion euros ($2 billion) shared by the 32 Champions League clubs.

That was just ahead of beaten finalist Manchester City, which received just over 119 million euros ($125.6 million), reports AP.

Further down the list — trailing at least 35 million euros ($37 million) behind Chelsea and Man City — were traditional high earners Barcelona and Juventus.

Both clubs lost in the round of 16 and the UEFA list shows Barcelona earned less than 85 million euros ($90 million) and Juventus got less than 83 million euros ($88 million).

The two clubs, along with Real Madrid, then led an elite group of 12 teams trying to break from UEFA and launch their own Super League, which was announced one month after their Champions League eliminations.

The project aimed to give founding members more money and guarantee their place in the competition even if the team under-achieved.

They said the project was necessary for an ailing soccer industry after many clubs reported record losses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The nine other Super League members, including Chelsea and Man City, quickly renounced the project amid fierce backlash from fans, national governments and UEFA, leading to its collapse within 48 hours.

The 32 Champions League clubs are paid an equal entry fee, match result bonuses, a share of their domestic broadcast deal and a weighted payment based on historical record in UEFA competitions.

Semifinalists Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain each got almost 110 million euros ($116 million) last year, the only other clubs to earn a nine-figure sum from UEFA.

The prize money standings for Juventus and Barcelona will look similar this season.

Source: Bahrain News Agency