It had been flagged that clubs around the continent who do not participate in group stage football were in line for a huge increase in centralised rewards from UEFA in an attempt to spread the wealth generated by the new bloated Champions League format in the 2024-27 cycle.
This has massive implications for LOI clubs on a number of levels, especially as the increase of the Irish pot from €1.4m to a figure that is likely to be closer to €4m also includes a change in the terms and conditions of how money is divided.
While the FAI used to divide the money evenly between Premier and First Division clubs, even though UEFA’s preference was that it went to top flight clubs only, the new deal that will be enforced by UEFA stipulates that second tier clubs can only receive 15pc of the €3m the League of Ireland is expected to be allocated on the basis of the league’s ranking in the UEFA charts. And that is only if 75pc of the Premier sides agree to do so – no issues are expected in that regard.
The remaining €1m or so, with the exact amount influenced by the performance of the top European earner in an individual country, will go to Premier sides only.
In simple terms, that means the ten First Division clubs will share €450,000, thus meaning the solidarity cash for each club drops from the current figure of around €70,000 to €45,000 whereas the Premier amounts will leap from €70,000 to circa €355,000 per club in years where no Irish team qualifies for group stage football.
With Shamrock Rovers participating in the Conference League proper in the 2024/25 season – their campaign starts against APOEL Nicosia on Thursday – they will not be eligible for solidarity money so the Irish cash will be split nine ways thus meaning that the other 2024 LOI Premier Division participants will collect around €390,000 each, with Rovers’ success increasing their share.
Troubled Dundalk will receive that in the likely event of their relegation, a windfall that could be significant to their plight, with promoted Cork City only graduating to the upper payment when the 2025/26 dividends are sent out.
What’s significant about 2025 is that clubs were informed via the European Clubs Association (ECA) on Monday that UEFA are now looking to pay the solidarity money after qualifying rounds of that season are completed rather than across the following year.
To bring that into line, a double payment in 2025 is on the cards. Clubs are only due to receive their 2023/24 money in the coming weeks, but they will receive the elevated 2024/25 amount in two instalments in February and June. And they have now been told to work off the assumption that the lion’s share of the 2025/26 solidarity will be received next autumn with that principle remaining in place going forward.
Therefore, all of the Premier clubs who play in both the 2024 and 2025 seasons but do not qualify for group stage football in either year, will enjoy an unprecedented windfall.
While the introduction of the solidarity money was linked with youth training budgets, the memorandum signed with the ECA has effectively loosened that requirement but clubs will have to meet certain conditions around their women’s team and other criteria to be eligible in the coming years.
