What does the winner of the UEFA Conference League get?

Introduced in 2021, the UEFA Conference League is the third tier of European club competition, sitting underneath the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League.

While the competition is undesirable for Europe’s elite soccer clubs, it serves as a great opportunity for teams that otherwise wouldn’t play in European competition, such as the UEFA Champions League, to compete for a major trophy.

What benefits does a club get from winning the UEFA Conference League?

Let’s take a look.

UEFA Europa League qualification

The winner of the UEFA Conference League automatically qualifies for the following season’s Europa League league phase (formerly known as group stage).

Just as the winner of the Europa League receives qualification to the UEFA Champions League, the winner of the UECL gets a chance to show their stuff in the second tier of European competition the following season.

The UECL winners will only not play in the Europa League if they qualify for the UEFA Champions League via domestic league finishing position.

Prize money

In addition to the prize money awarded for reaching each round of the tournament on the way to the final, the club that wins the UEFA Conference League earns 7 million euros (7.966 million USD).

While the prize money is nominal for Europe’s top clubs, it can make a real difference for the teams that are expected to compete for the Conference League trophy year after year.

A European trophy

Arguably more important to a club’s fanbase than qualification to the Europa League and a financial boost, adding a new piece of silverware to the trophy cabinet is a major benefit of winning this competition.

While it can’t be mentioned in the same breath as the UEFA Champions League trophy, winning the UECL title has proven a major accomplishment to those that have done it in the short life span of the competition – Roma, Olympiacos, and West Ham United.

David Schneidman

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