Since the inception of the then newly branded Europa League in 2009, Irish sides have now qualified for the Group Stages ‘proper’ on three occasions. Shamrock Rovers were the trailblazers in 2011, being drawn into a group with Tottenham Hotspur, PAOK and Rubin Kazan. Dundalk became the first Irish side to win a European group game in 2016, beating Maccabi Tel Aviv 1-0, whilst also gaining a point away to AZ Alkmaar.
Dundalk will go at it again this year, hoping to go one further and prevail from a very exciting group also containing Arsenal (ENG), Rapid Wien (AUT) and Molde (NOR). But what does it mean for an Irish club to qualify for the Europa League Group Stages?
Financial:
Let’s start with the obvious and most talked about – this will mean a large windfall for Dundalk. Qualifying for the Group Stages alone has net them €2.92m, added to the already accrued €1.25m (approx) from their Champions League exploits this season thus far.
If Dundalk can win a group game, they earn €570,000 each time, whereas a draw earns them €190,000. If Dundalk can match their previous performance of 4 points in 2016, they will net close to €5m from their Europa League campaign.
This is all if Dundalk gets eliminated at the group stage. If Dundalk can upset the odds and win the group, they will receive and additional €1m, or similarly they will receive €500,000 for finishing runners-up.
Let’s put this into context. The winners of the League of Ireland Premier Division earn €100,000 in prize money. Dundalk can potentially earn almost 50 times that amount with a similar performance as 2016 in the Europa League. It is not an exaggeration to conclude that this achievement will cover the cost of running their club for at least a year (most likely even longer), taking into account the additional costs accrued by playing European football.
This will give Dundalk the opportunity to create longer term plans and strategies for the development of the club, and invest in areas that will benefit them in the long run.
Unfortunately, the COVID situation will keep the vast majority of fans from attending these games, which would have generated a considerable amount of revenue also, seeing as Dundalk would stage their group games in the much larger Aviva Stadium.
Commercial:
Yes, playing more games, especially with away ties in three European cities with charter flights, accommodation and all the extra costs of the new COVID sports world, Dundalk’s outgoings will be higher than usual. However, playing on the bigger stage should also help Dundalk negotiate additional sponsorships and perhaps re-negotiate existing deals. There will also be additional TV revenue, more than outweighing the additional costs accrued.
Stature:
Dundalk’s reputation will increase with a second Group Stage appearance in 5 years. What does this mean? It means more people around Europe will be familiar with Dundalk. As a result, it should help Dundalk attract a certain calibre of player and staff, that perhaps without the promise of European football, may not have looked to Irish shores. Qualifying twice in five seasons will have players seeing Dundalk as a route into at least semi-regular European football, which in turn can only benefit the league.
Not only this, but the players and coaches themselves will have a higher platform than usual to showcase their talents and test themselves against top level opposition in Arsenal as well as varying styles of play in Molde and Rapid Wien.Add to this an improved UEFA coefficient for Irish clubs, hopefully meaning more favourable draws in future years and hopefully much more European Group Stage appearances to look forward to. (Especially with the new UEFA Europa Conference League starting in 2021).
The impact of a League of Ireland club reaching the group stages cannot be underestimated. Lets hope Dundalk can do as well as possible, showing the way for Irish football in Europe and hopefully creating a pathway for Irish clubs to emulate them for years to come.
Congratulations to Filippo and his team, we’re all behind you as you embark on this exciting journey! C’mon the Town!
*Numbers taken from 2019-20 Europa League season. Sources: UEFA and Football-Coefficient.eu