Welcome to issue #042 of Contemporary Football, your inside look at how the game really works behind the scenes.
Monday to Friday, you’ll uncover a new perspective on football business, and sometimes a deeper story that sharpens your thinking and gives you an edge in the beautiful game.
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Good morning,
A small number can still tell a big story.
UEFA confirmed that, in 2026/27, Italian clubs not playing in Europe will share €10 million in solidarity funds.
On paper, it sounds like support.
In practice, it changes very little.
Let’s walk the headline number
For the 2026/27 season, UEFA will allocate €10 million to Serie A clubs not qualified for:
Champions League
Europa League
Conference League
Italy is grouped with England, Spain, Germany, and France.
Each of the Top 5 leagues receives:
€10 million
Paid once
Split among domestic top-flight clubs outside UEFA competitions
The bigger picture
This solidarity sits inside UEFA’s 2024–2027 cycle.
Key numbers:
Total UEFA club competition revenues: ~€4.4bn per year
Solidarity share: 7%
Annual cap for solidarity payments: €308m
That’s:
+80% vs the previous cycle
The biggest increase since solidarity was introduced
UEFA’s stated goal is to push revenues toward €6bn per year in the next cycle.
So yes, solidarity money will likely grow again.
But context matters.
How the €308m is actually split
1. Top 5 leagues
€50m total
€10m per federation
Flat distribution
For example, Italy gets €10m.
End of story.
2. Other 50 UEFA associations
€258m total
Split into:
70% – Access List Share (€180.6m)
Based on UEFA ranking:
Last federation: €1.5m
+€78k per ranking position
+€1m bonus if represented in Champions League league phase
30% – Competitive Balance Share (€77.4m)
Calculated after the season.
Based on the revenues generated by the top club of each federation.
And designed to offset domestic inequality created by European success.
Access is conditional, not automatic.
This is not free cash
To receive solidarity money, clubs must meet UEFA licensing standards:
Youth development structure
Qualified coaches and medical staff
No overdue payables
Minimum organisational and governance criteria
This is money for clubs that already meet basic institutional standards.
Why €10m doesn’t change anything
Let’s be honest.
One Champions League club can generate €60–100m in a season
Europa League still brings €20–30m
Conference League adds visibility, coefficients, and resale leverage
Against that:
€10m split across multiple Serie A clubs is marginal.
We all agree that it does not:
Close gaps
Change competitive dynamics
Offset missed European revenue
UEFA is acknowledging the problem.
It is not solving it.
The real signal
The real signal isn’t the €10m.
It’s the growing fear inside domestic leagues.
UEFA prize money is growing faster than any internal redistribution mechanism.
The wall between “European” and “non-European” clubs is becoming structural.
In recent Serie A discussions, some executives are already floating ideas like:
A second domestic parachute
Fewer teams
Higher per-club redistribution
Reducing the league to 18 teams keeps coming back.
Politically painful.
Economically coherent.
Bottom line
UEFA solidarity money is increasing.
Inequality is increasing faster.
For Italian clubs outside Europe, €10m is better than zero, helpful for cash flow and compliance, but also irrelevant for competitiveness.
The gap is no longer cyclical.
It’s built into the system.
And no solidarity cheque can fix that without bigger structural change.
See you tomorrow,
Federico