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sports Diahuebs 12 Mei 2022

Chelsea tops UEFA prize money list with $126M last season

(AP) — Champions of 16 and then helped in the The lowest payment to a
League winner Chelsea failed attempt to launch a Su- Champions League club was
earned nearly 120 mil- per League, which was de- 18.45 million euros ($19.5
lion euros ($126.5 million) signed to be more lucrative million) to Hungarian cham-
from UEFA last season, for top clubs. pion Ferencváros, which lost
topping the prize money five of its six group-stage
list for European clubs Barcelona and Juventus were games.
published Wednesday. key leaders of the project
which saw 12 elite clubs try Ferencváros received just 1.1
That was just ahead of beat- to break away from UEFA million euros ($1.16 million)
en finalist Manchester City, control to create their own from UEFA’s 585-million
which received just over 119 competition. euro ($618 million) fund re-
million euros ($125.6 mil- warding clubs for their his-
lion) from a total fund of The UEFA list shows Barce- torical record in European
nearly 1.9 billion euros ($2 lona earned less than 85 mil- competitions. In contrast,
billion) shared by the 32 lion euros ($90 million) and 13-time European champion
Champions League clubs. Juventus got less than 83 mil- Real Madrid was paid 35.5 was 541 million euros ($571 from both competitions.
That total has risen to more lion euros ($88 million). million euros ($37.5 million) million) — about 28% of the
than 2 billion euros ($2.1 bil- from that fund. Champions League sum. From the Champions League
lion) for the current and next Barcelona, Juventus and Ma- fund, 8 million euros ($8.4
two seasons. drid are still pursuing a legal Those “coefficient” payments Europa League winner Vil- million) was paid to the ECA,
case against UEFA at the Eu- began in 2018 after pressure larreal got 33.1 million euros which represents nearly 250
Semifinalists Real Madrid ropean Court of Justice in on UEFA from the European ($35 million) and the team it clubs who play in UEFA
and Paris Saint-Germain each Luxembourg. Club Association, which was beat in the semifinals, Arse- competitions.
got almost 110 million euros then strongly influenced by nal, earned just under 30 mil-
($116 million), the only oth- The nine other Super League the clubs who later tried to lion euros ($31.6 million). Each club had about 5% of
er clubs to earn a nine-figure members, including Chel- create the Super League. its prize money deducted
sum from UEFA. sea and Man City, quickly Manchester United, which as part of a five-year agree-
renounced the project amid The wealth gap between lost the Europa League fi- ment with UEFA to pay re-
Chelsea’s total was at least 35 fierce public backlash, lead- the Champions League and nal after placing third in its funds to UEFA broadcasters
million euros ($37 million) ing to its collapse within 48 second-tier Europa League Champions League group, and sponsors for disruption
more than Barcelona and Ju- hours. was again clear. The Europa received a total of 79.6 mil- in the pandemic-hit 2019-20
ventus, who lost in the round League’s prize fund for clubs lion euros ($83.6 million) season.

Ex-kicker sues Jags, cites Urban Meyer for hostile workplace

(AP) — Former NFL million in salary and dam- The Tampa Bay Times first sequent release violated Flor- Meyer, speaking prior to his
placekicker Josh Lambo ages for emotional distress reported details of the law- ida’s Private Sector Whistle firing, denied the incident
has filed a lawsuit against caused by former head suit, which was filed Tuesday Blower’s Act, the lawsuit happened the way Lambo de-
the Jacksonville Jaguars, coach Urban Meyer. in the 4th Judicial Circuit says. scribed it.
seeking more than $3.5 Court in Duval County and
claims Meyer and the Jaguars Lambo, the fourth-most ac- “Josh’s characterization of
created a hostile work envi- curate kicker in NFL history, me and this incident is com-
ronment. According to the missed a field-goal attempt pletely inaccurate, and there
lawsuit, Lambo says his per- in each of Jacksonville’s first are eyewitnesses to refute his
formance suffered as a result two preseason games. In a account,” Meyer said. “(Gen-
of being kicked and verbally practice before the final ex- eral manager) Trent (Baalke)
abused by Meyer. hibition game at Dallas in and I met with him on mul-
August, Lambo says he was tiple occasions to encourage
Lambo is seeking a jury trial stretching when Meyer ap- his performance, and this was
and hopes to be awarded a proached him, kicked him in never brought up. I was fully
judgement for back pay owed the leg and said, “Hey (exple- supportive of Josh during his
from his 2021 salary ($3.5 tive), make your (expletive) time with the team and wish
million) with interest as well kicks!” him nothing but the best.”
as “compensation for any
special damages sustained as Lambo says he told Meyer to The lawsuit claims the inci-
emotional stress and repu- never strike him again, but dent affected Lambo’s ability
tational harm and litigation Meyer responded with, “I’m to sleep, practice and perform
fees,” among other costs. the head ball coach. I’ll kick his job the way he had during
you whenever the (expletive) his seven NFL seasons.
The Jaguars fired Meyer I want.”
on Dec. 15, hours after the “Mr. Meyer’s hostility had
Tampa Bay Times reported The lawsuit says Lambo ver- the intended effect on Mr.
Meyer had kicked Lambo bally reported the incident Lambo, resulting in Mr.
during a practice months immediately through his Lambo uncharacteristically
earlier. Meyer was fired with agent, who contacted the Jag- missing difficult and long
cause, although the team in- uars’ legal counsel the day af- kicks from the ranges of 55
sists Lambo’s accusation had ter Meyer kicked Lambo. yards, 52 yards and 58 yards,”
nothing to do with owner according to the lawsuit.
Shad Khan’s decision to end An employer physically strik-
one of the most tumultuous ing an employee at work, Lambo was released by the
coaching tenures in NFL his- then threatening to do so Jaguars on Oct. 19, two days
tory. again in response to resis- after Matt Wright made two
tance is illegal under Florida 50-plus-yard field goals to
Since Lambo reported the civil and criminal law, the beat Miami in London and
kicking incident to the Jag- lawsuit claims. end the franchise’s 20-game
uars’ legal counsel, his sub- losing streak.