Tuesday night's stunning comeback win over Benfica means Barcelona go into the final round of the league stage in second place. They have already assured themselves of automatic promotion to the last 16 of the Champions League, although that does not mean that next week's match against Atalanta is a dead rubber for Hansi Flick's side.
After a defeat in the opening match against AS Monaco, Barcelona has returned to the Champions League. They have won their next six matches in the league stage (against Young Boys, Bayern Munich, Crvena Zvedza, Brest, Borussia Dortmund and Benfica), putting them on course for a top two finish. They can still finish top, although they would have to win while Liverpool lose to PSV Eindhoven.
Currently, Barcelona have collected €41.2 million in prize money as a result of their results in the competition phase. Should they secure victory against Atalanta next week, that amount could rise to €53.3 million, although that would be dependent on Liverpool's defeat. Even if the Catalans finish second, the amount earned will be very similar, according to Diario AS.
Barcelona is determined to make as much money as possible to restore financial equality in the coming years, and many different avenues are being explored by club officials. The best possible way to raise money is through on-field efforts, and great success has been achieved in this regard so far this season. However, there is still more work to be done.
There is no doubt that Barcelona will take the match against Atalanta very seriously as they look to secure that place in the top two. Flick will want this regardless of the financial benefits, but if it means extra money available in the summer, he wouldn't complain.
Comments