Domestic rivals Arsenal and Chelsea will square off in the final of the UEFA Europa League on Wednesday. The second all-English final in the competition’s history will kick off at 21:00 CET in Baku, Azerbaijan. A fact that has led to plenty of controversy in the lead-up to the match. While both teams will be desperate to beat their local rival at the European stage, the Europa League trophy is often considered the consolation prize in European football, clearly playing second fiddle to the UEFA Champions League.

As our chart illustrates, it’s not just prestige that the Europa League is lacking compared to the Champions League. In financial terms, the UEFA’s second tier competition is no match for what can safely be considered the world’s biggest club competition in football. A team that marches through the Europa League, winning every group stage game and going on to win the title will receive €21.3 million in prize money from the UEFA. The Champions League winner can earn nearly four times that amount.

source statista