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UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League are the two pinnacles of European club tournaments, awarding the coveted continental silverware to the top clubs in Europe.
Borth tournaments are prestigious for clubs competing in these, and hold different merits and various aspects of prizes that come with these silverware.
However, if you are a fan of a top club that crashed out of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, you would definitely be disheartened. But, on the other end, if your club clinches the Europa League, would you celebrate it in the same manner when your club reached the UCL semis?
This may be a tough choice for fans who naturally covet the utmost success for their beloved clubs. But this question may always arise in every football fan's mind, which one is better to choose? Crashing out in the UCL semis or winning the Europa League?
Sportz Point delves into this interesting discussion through this article.
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Crashing out of UEFA Champions League Semis: Pros and Cons
Advantages
Playing in the UEFA Champions League is already competing at the highest level, and reaching the semifinals is a very significant achievement.
- If a mid-table club in the top five European leagues manages, or a club that belongs to a league other than the lower coefficients in the UEFA European leagues ranking, reaching this level can also provide valuable experience for the team and contribute to their reputation.
- Reaching the semifinals demonstrates a lot about the team. It means they were able to overcome the best clubs in Europe and reach the knockout stage.
- If looked at from a monetary point of view, the UCL semifinalists receive a prize money of €15 million that helps the teams to look forward to their future. The Champions League also draws more marketing or TV ratings.
UEFA prize money distribution (as of 31 Jan):
7⃣3⃣% to UCL clubs (€2.14 billion)
1⃣8⃣% to UEL clubs (€528 million)
9⃣% to UECL clubs (€265 million) pic.twitter.com/anllbpFPQK— Football Meets Data (@fmeetsdata) January 31, 2025
Disadvantages
Losing at this stage can be disappointing, especially if the team had induced high hopes of winning the tournament. For example, Ajax in the 2018-19 UCL claimed attention in the best possible way, beating defending champions Real Madrid on the way, but crashed out of the semi-finals.
- If a team loses in the semifinals without winning anything in the domestic league, it will be considered a disastrous trophyless season. Very few people would be impressed by a club simply for reaching the semifinals.
- On the contrary, a semi-final defeat can disrupt a team's momentum, potentially affecting their performance in domestic competitions.
- This also may lead to a massive exodus of players from the club, especially if the club is not an European powerhouse already. The top European players will go after the players who performed well for the team, leading to the dismantling of the core group, making it harder to repeat the feat in the future continental competitions.
Winning the UEFA Europa League: Pros and Cons
Advantages
For most of the clubs, winning a silverware is a huge achievement. Winning the Europa League has its own advantages, considering that most of the mid-table or apparently mediocre clubs compete in this tournament.
- Winning the Europa League guarantees a continental silverware, which is always better than a trophy-less season. It also ensures a direct qualification in the next season's Champions League.
- The winners of the Europa League also meet the Champions League winners in a season-end competition, called the UEFA Super Cup, which presents another opportunity to clinch another silverware.
- Winning a major European trophy significantly enhances a club's global status and reputation. This success can attract sponsors, and elite players as well.
Disadvantages
- The biggest drawback of taking part in the Europa League, particularly of winning it, is the scheduling of midweek games. This may lead to a congested fixture, resulting in fatigue among the players as well as higher injury risks. Consequently, this affects the players' performance within domestic leagues or other tournaments. The Thursday-Sunday format of the Europa League puts more pressure on players than the Tuesday-Wednesday format of the Champions League.
- Although it is a big silverware, the Europa League is usually less prestigious than the Champions League, and therefore makes it less attractive than the clubs competing in the UCL.
- Comparing to the Champions League, the Europa League offers lower prize money. This will be a downer for the clubs that are reliant on their European competition-generated revenue, more so those operating outside the major five European clubs.
The difference in prize money between 108 clubs playing UCL, UEL and UECL visualized. pic.twitter.com/T5IZwmOhsC
— Football Meets Data (@fmeetsdata) December 14, 2024
Conclusion: Which is better?
To be honest, it is subjective and depends on different contexts.
For a world-class team that can contest the Champions League, playing in the Europa League could be a disappointment or a consolation for the team, the management and mostly, for the supporters.
However, if a team has no practical hope of winning the Champions League but can contest the title for the Europa League, it would be preferable to lift the trophy instead of qualifying to the semi-finals.
In conclusion, the Champions League semi-final defeat is an indicator of greater competition and ability, while the Europa League win is a concrete victory. So, we can say that there is no definite 'better' result between these two.
FC Barcelona start their campaign with an important win. Marcus Rashford with two world-class goals, and FC Barcelona got three points on the road. 
Last season's beaten finalists start in impressive fashion, Marcus Thuram heading both goals as Inter see off Ajax.
Liverpool found a way for a hard-fought three points in their league phase opener.
Chelsea caught napping again. 
Olise should score from there. 
GAME ON!
Serge Gnabry, with a left-footed shot from outside the box, misses the target.