European champions Real Madrid will get around €50 million without kicking a ball in the Champions League next season as a new revenue distribution system comes into effect.
European soccer body UEFA said on Tuesday that €2.04 billion would be distributed among the teams competing in its flagship tournament in 2018-19, although some will get considerably more than others.
Critics say that the system creates a snowball effect as the clubs who already have the highest revenue get the most money.
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, who was elected shortly after the new system was approved in 2016, has said that the lack of competitive balance is the biggest issue facing European football, but he concedes it cannot be changed overnight.
Champions League group stage participants next year will receive a starting fee — which is the same for all teams — plus bonuses for winning matches, additional payments calculated on previous results (known as the coefficient ranking) and finally a share of the television market pool.