Why a top four place is more valuable than a trophy

Why a top four place is more valuable than a trophy

“Top four is not a trophy” has been the cry of many an Arsenal supporter in recent years. Not all Arsenal supporters of course, but quite a few.

And yet there is a good reason to think that even if there is no silver pot for coming fourth in the Premier League there is certainly a very large benefit from ending up at the top end.


In fact there are several benefits, and it is through the accumulation of these benefits that the clubs that regularly appear in the top four, continue to appear in the top four, while the clubs that are outside the elite group find it so hard to get into the select group.

In terms of benefits the one we see and hear every day – at least until the end of the group stages of the Champions League – is the prestige. The clubs in the Champions League groups are the clubs talked about, not just in England but in the whole footballing world.

If I say that the publicity gained from this is almost priceless, many fans will say, “I don’t care about publicity” but being in the public eye is essential for a top team, because it is out of this publicity that players and their agents take the view of which club they wish to move to.

Given the choice of being in a club that is

a. regularly in the Champions League
b. occasionally in the Champions League
c. often in the Europa League
d. hopeful of making it

it is patently obvious which club the player wants to join. Even if a type “d” club offers £10k a week more, the lure of the Champions League, and the chance of being seen on television sets around the world, is worth an awful lot.

But it is not just the top players that feel this lure. Ainsley Maitland Nyles got a few minutes on the pitch this season in the Champions League, and his name reverberated in youth squads around Europe. Hector Bellerin became an absolute advert for Arsenal’s youth policy this year. Barcelona or Arsenal for this brilliant youngster? Go to Arsenal and get your time on the pitch.

A lot of Arsenal supporters might not even recognise the name Stefan O’Connor but his placing in the squad sent out a message – this club is in the Champions League and uses its young players. Which is why young men like him chose Arsenal in the first place.

And of course if this appeals to the youngsters it appeals doubly so to those maturing into their careers. Would Alexis or Ozil have come to Arsenal if Arsenal played in the Europa league – but were promising a breakthrough? No, of course not.

But that’s still only the start, because the payments clubs get from participating are quite remarkable.
This year Champions League clubs will shared about €1.257bn of which the vast majority (€1.207bn) of the money is paid out to the clubs involved in the group stage onward.

All clubs in the group stages get €12m plus €1.5m for a win and €500k for a draw. This is basically the money needed to buy a decent squad player for the Champions League and upper reaches of the Premier League.

But even that is not all. €482.9m extra money is distributed according to the proportional value of each TV market represented by the clubs taking part in the group stages of the Champions League. And because English clubs are watched world wide English clubs get a fair amount of this income.
So, to pose the basic question again. Is Top Four a Trophy? No, it isn’t as there is no cup to pick up. But yes it is, in terms of money.

If Arsenal win the FA Cup they will pick up £3.5m for so doing, and a trophy for the cabinet. That’s about one eighth of what they get for entering the Champions League and getting through the group stages.

Not a trophy, but enough to buy another top player.