Chelsea received a boost for the Europa League with the incentive of prize money, which could alleviate their concerns regarding Financial Fair Play regulations.

Mauricio Pochettino’s squad will be eager to prolong their undefeated run as they face Brighton on the last day of the Premier League next weekend.

On the final day of the Premier League, there will be significant stakes as several European berths remain undetermined, particularly with Chelsea aiming for a Europa League position.

Chelsea’s recent resurgence has injected momentum into their challenging season, as evidenced by their third consecutive victory over Nottingham Forest. Mykhailo Mudryk, Raheem Sterling, and Nicolas Jackson found the net, narrowing the gap to sixth-placed Newcastle.

Eddie Howe’s Newcastle, however, couldn’t secure a win against Brighton & Hove Albion, settling for a 1-1 draw at St James’ Park. Consequently, Chelsea and Newcastle are now level on 57 points.

This parity means that eighth-placed United now confronts unexpected competition for sixth place. Meanwhile, Aston Villa holds the advantage in the race for the fourth Champions League spot, although Spurs still harbor mathematical hopes.

However, they face a challenging fixture against Manchester City on Wednesday. Premier League clubs have been confined to the standard four Champions League berths after Serie A and the Bundesliga secured an additional spot due to their superior coefficient rankings, following alterations to the competition’s format for the next season.

Chelsea finds themselves contending with Premier League financial re+gulations, and any form of European football would alleviate this pressure. Owner Todd Boehly is well aware of this, especially amidst rumors hinting at Mauricio Pochettino’s future hinging on securing a European qualification spot.

Earlier in the season, Chelsea had an opportunity to secure a place in the Europa Conference League had they defeated Liverpool in the League Cup final. Meanwhile, the FA Cup winners automatically earn a spot in the Europa League, unless they have already qualified through their league position.

In the scenario where Manchester United wins the FA Cup and finishes fifth, the Europa League berth transfers to the sixth-placed team. However, if Manchester United wins and finishes sixth, there’s no change in the allocation.

Since Liverpool emerged victorious in the League Cup, the Europa Conference League playoff spot is then passed down to the next highest-ranked team, typically the seventh-placed club. Qualifying for UEFA competitions—Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League—brings significant financial benefits.

Although sixth place is still within reach, Chelsea is currently tied on points with Newcastle. Their upcoming matches against Manchester United, Brighton, and Bournemouth present opportunities to bolster their chances of European qualification.

Reportedly, UEFA has maintained the prize money levels for the 2023/24 tournaments at the same level as the previous season. However, the Champions League offers substantially higher earnings compared to the Europa League.

For the 2023/24 season, the combined gross revenue from the Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League totals around £3 billion (€3.5 billion). Notably, there’s a considerable disparity in earnings for teams participating in the Europa League, with £397 million (€465 million) distributed out of a total of £2.37 billion—amounting to £1.34 billion less than the Champions League.

The distribution of prize money

Group stage – £3.2m

Group stage draw – £179k

Group stage win – £538k

Group stage winner – £940k

Group stage runner-up – £470k

Knockout round play-offs – £427k

Round of 16 – £1m

Quarter-finals – £1.5m