Interesting to look at what has happened with Premier League clubs and UEFA competitions, especially when it comes to the financial side of things.
Major changes happened ahead of the 2024/25 season.
The headline news was the Champions League, expanded to 36 teams and a lot more matches.
A minimum of eight games for each of the clubs in a Swiss League format, rather than the four-team groups that had been in place previously.
The Europa League and Conference League also had major revamps.
Maybe the biggest impact was on the Europa League. Four more clubs competing in the Champions League and no longer having the teams that finished third in the group stage dropping into the Europa League.
Fair to say that these changes have made the Europa League easier to win than in the past, especially if you are a club with far greater financial power than the vast majority of others in the competition.
Since the changes came in ahead of the 2024/25 season, Premier League teams have played 20 knockout ties (two-legged rounds and finals) against non-English opposition across the Europa League and Conference League.
The Premier League clubs have won all 20 ties. The latest of which was Aston Villa’s dominant 3-0 victory over Freiburg in last night’s Europa League final.
When you look at the respective finances, Villa’s win in Istanbul should come as little surprise.
The last available club finances are for the 2024/25 season.
Bundesliga club Freiburg had a turnover last season of €162.8 million, compared to Aston Villa’s €450.2m. The Premier League club generating almost three times as much money last season.
Last season’s (2025) Europa League final was between two Premier League clubs, Spurs winning 1-0 against Manchester United.
Looking now at the 2024/25 turnovers for these two English clubs, Tottenham generated €672.6m and Man U €793.1m.
A far fairer contest in terms of their off the pitch financial power than if they had played pretty much any other teams that had been competing in the competition. Which largely explains why they could both reach the Europa League final despite woeful domestic league campaigns, on the final day of the 2024/25 Premier League season we saw Tottenham and Manchester United fighting to avoid finishing fourth bottom. Man U’s shock final day of the season win at home against Aston Villa meant that Tottenham ended up fourth bottom, plus meant that Newcastle United qualified for the Champions League rather than Aston Villa.
In the 2025 UEFA Conference League final, Chelsea won 4-1 against Real Betis.
Chelsea had a turnover of €584.1 last (2024/25) season, whilst for Real Betis it was €224.0m
Once again, the Premier League club with far more financial strength than their opponents from another European league.
This season, Crystal Palace will also play La Liga opposition. The UEFA Conference League final is against Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday 27 May.
Last season saw Crystal Palace with a turnover of €232.5m, compared to €60.0m for Rayo Vallecano.
It feels like the law of unintended consequences is in play with both the Europa League and Conference League. The changes that UEFA made ahead of last season leading to Premier League clubs dominating the two competitions.
Indeed, Aston Villa only reached the Europa League final thanks to winning against Nottingham Forest in the semi-finals. Forest another Premier League club that was fighting a relegation battle but still managing to get so far in the second most important UEFA competition.
The Champions League is unsurprisingly the one competition that is still very competitive at the business end of things when it comes to clubs on the continent able to compete with Premier League clubs. Well, clubs on the continent that bring in competitive levels of cash.
Last season PSG thrashed Inter Milan 5-0.
The 2024/25 finances show PSG were fourth highest in the world with a turnover of €837.0m, compared to 11th highest in the world Inter Milan and their €537.5m turnover.
The 2026 Champions League final on Saturday 30 May will see the French club face Arsenal this time.
Arsenal had a €821.7m turnover last season which was seventh highest in the world, just over €15m less than PSG’s €837.0m.
Aston Villa were huge favourites to win against Freiburg last night and it is the same story for Crystal Palace and next Wednesday’s match against Rayo Vallecano.
Whereas PSG are slight favourites against Arsenal in advance of their Champions League final.
Money doesn’t guarantee success but the lesser two UEFA competitions are pointing towards Premier League clubs now converting their significant financial advantage into success on the pitch in the Europa League and Conference League.