Chelsea and Man City get enormous FIFA insurance for Champions League failure

Manchester City host Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday evening, but their participation in next season’s Champions League is far from certain

Chelsea and Manchester City have been given a £40million-plus insurance policy against failing to qualify for next season’s Champions League by their participation in this summer’s World Cup.

Both clubs, who meet on Saturday at the Etihad, are battling to finish in the top four to book a place in European club football’s top tournament. But Enzo Maresca and Pep Guardiola will also be taking their teams to the extended 32-club World Cup in the United States in the summer.

And both Chelsea and City will bank a minimum of £40million just for turning up – with a healthy package of bonuses loaded on top. The eventual world champions will cash in to the tune of £80million – which is comparable to the £85million that will be handed to this season’s Champions League winners.

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Maresca and Guardiola will be desperate to lead their teams into next season’s competition. Chelsea, European champions in 2012 and 2021, finished sixth in the Premier League last season and went into the Europa Conference League for the first time.

City, who lifted the Champions League for the first time in 2023, have been amongst the elite for the last 14 seasons. Guardiola’s team must beat Club Brugge on Wednesday to book a place in the play-off round after winning just two of their first seven ties in the newly formatted competition.

The four-in-a-row Premier League champions are in a powerful financial position and have already spent more than £120million during the transfer window in a bid to rescue the campaign. Guardiola has never failed to qualify for the Champions League in 15 seasons as a manager with City, Bayern Munich and Barcelona.

Chelsea are already facing a probe into their finances after informing UEFA and Premier League that payments may have been made to new signings off the books during Roman Abramovich’s ownership.

The London club are also walking a PSR tightrope following a £1billion-plus transfer spend under owner Todd Boehly.

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