Survival or FA Cup glory – which would Leeds and West Ham fans prefer?
The winner of this year’s men’s FA Cup will pocket £2.1 million in prize money. A seemingly reasonable amount, perhaps. That is, until you compare this to the prize money on offer for finishing one place higher in the Premier League.
According to the Premier League website, each position was worth £2.7 million in 2024-25, meaning finishing one place above the table in 17th earned £10.8 million; That’s more than five times as much as winning the FA Cup.
Not only that, but the financial impact of relegation is also huge. Broadcast money, matchday and commercial revenues are all taking a hit.
Although the actual amount will vary from club to club, football finance expert Kieran Maguire believes leaving the top-flight league in 2025-26 will cost clubs an average of £100 million.
“The club that finished last in the Premier League two years ago has made £111m according to the deadlines we have,” Maguire told the Daily Mail in January.
“I think by the end of this season we will be looking at around £120 million in funding from television companies alone.
“That will drop to around £45 million in the Championship, so that is already around £75 million. [lost].”
When you add in matchday loss and commercial income, this means clubs are facing losses of more than £100 million.
So, when it comes to player rotation, is it really surprising that managers are increasingly choosing to use domestic cup competitions as a rotating playing field?
While it may seem like there’s a lot to be gained for the fans, and you can argue against the players, that gain isn’t all that attractive for most of those tasked with running the ships.
