Barcelona are aiming to reach the Champions League final when they take on Inter in their semi-final second leg on Tuesday. Last week’s 3-3 draw in Catalonia means that it will be a winner-takes-all showdown at the San Siro.
After winning the Copa del Rey last month in a five-goal thriller against Real Madrid, Barcelona are very much in contention for a treble. La Liga could be all-but secured if they win again in El Clasico this weekend, but for now, focus is on reaching the Champions League final.
Achieving success is the primary aim for Hansi Flick and his squad, but for those higher up at Barcelona, there would also be a further reward if they can edge past Inter on Tuesday: prize money. And given the club’s well-documented financial problems, it is desperately needed – especially as it could mean that one more player can be signed in the summer.
Barcelona eye more Champions League prize money
As reported by MD, the two winners of the Champions League semi-final ties will be awarded a figure in the region of €18.5m. For Barcelona, this would be a massive boost to their finances, and for more than one reason.
In-house Champions League expectations already exceeded
In their season budget, Barcelona planned for reaching the Champions League semi-finals only, so they have already earned €15m more than expected as a result of reaching the last four. That figure would rise to €33.5m if they were to reach the final in Munich at the end of this month, with the club having generated €116m in total from playing in the competition this season so far.
Should Barcelona defeat Inter and then go on to win against Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final, another €10.5m would be earned (€6.5m for winning the tournament, €4m for playing in the UEFA Super Cup against Europa League champions). There is no doubt that this money would come in very handy for the Catalans, and it could also help them to return to La Liga’s 1:1 rule in the summer.
