Man City Receives Highest UEFA Bonus for Releasing Players for International Duty

Premier League club Manchester City received approximately €5.17 million ($5.94 million), the largest allocation among UEFA clubs, as part of the governing body’s Club Benefits Programme, which aims to motivate player participation in national teams.

A record total of €233 million was shared among 901 clubs from all 55 member associations for the release of players for national team events, including the UEFA Nations League matches from 2020-21 and 2022-23, the qualifiers for the 2022-24 European Championship, and Euro 2024.

Spanish giants Real Madrid were granted €4.79 million, while Serie A’s Inter Milan received €4.65 million.

Clubs earned an equitable amount for each player they released for matches in the UEFA Nations League and Euro qualifying, in addition to a fixed daily rate during the final tournament for every player called up.

The financial distribution reached all levels of the football hierarchy, with even Yorkshire Amateur, a club in England’s tenth tier, securing €7,300.

“It’s wonderful to see clubs of all sizes and tiers within the football landscape receiving financial benefits for their essential contribution to developing players who play a significant role in the success of our national teams—especially in the upcoming UEFA EURO 2024 tournament,” remarked UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin.

“The achievements of our competitions are collective efforts, and this benefits programme stands as further proof of that philosophy… when football flourishes, everyone enjoys the rewards.”

The total allocation for the release of players in this cycle reached €100 million, an increase from €70 million in the previous cycle.

Furthermore, the allocation for player releases for the European Championship rose from €130 million to €140 million, with distributions benefiting 196 clubs across 29 UEFA member associations.