Reds to count cost of failure

LIVERPOOL’S failure to qualify for the Champions League next season could cost the club upwards of £25 million (€27.8m), according to a leading football finance analyst.

Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester United left the Merseysiders four points behind fourth-placed Tottenham and having played a match more.

Manager Rafael Benitez remains confident his side will still qualify for the Champions League but Vinay Bedi, of investment management firm Brewin Dolphin, said it would prove costly if they did not.

“It is a difficult figure to pluck out of thin air but you would expect Liverpool to want to be making £20-£25m out of the Champions League every year,” he said.

“I think they would budget for around that – although getting to the final could double it.

“Fifteen million doesn’t sound that much but it is essentially sheer bottom-line profit.

“It is very profitable revenue and that is really where the impact will come.

“There is also knock-on effect with merchandising, corporate hospitality, that sort of thing.”