Why every Premier League club will be supporting Sheff Utd over Sunderland in the Championship play-off final
Two Sunderland stars desperate for Wembley glory for different reasons
BLADE STUNNER Why every Premier League club will be supporting Sheff Utd over Sunderland in the Championship play-off final
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THE Championship play-off final is already the richest game in football.
Either Sheffield United or Sunderland will be £190million richer as a result of winning at Wembley today.
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Sheffield United winning promotion would lead to a bumper cash windfall for Premier League clubs
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The game kicks off at 3.01pm - the one minute later due to an initiative with the Every Minute Matters, encouraging supporters to learn the life-saving skill of CPR.
But come 5pm, it will not just be the Blades fans hoping Chris Wilder's side have secured victory and snatching the 20th spot in the 2025-26 Premier League season.
That is because every remaining Premier League club will also be supporting United against Sunderland.
As explained by football finance expert Kieran Maguire, Sheffield United returning to the Premier League will see the rest of the Premier League entitled to a £39million windfall.
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That is because Premier League rules state clubs are entitled to three years of parachute payments upon relegation from the top flight - two years if they were relegated immediately after promotion.
The parachute payments are 55 per cent, 45 per cent and 20 per cent of the equal share elements of the Premier League distribution to its member clubs.
Maguire confirmed this is £48m, £39m and £17m respectively across the three years of payments.
However, if a Championship club due to receive parachute payments are promoted back to the Premier League within those three years, they do not get given the outstanding money.
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Instead, the cash is kept by the Premier League who then distribute it to their own clubs.
After being relegated in 2023-24, Sheffield United received £45m this season and were due to pocket another £39m next season.
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However, the Premier League will not have to shell out that money should the Blades return to the top table for 2025-26.
Leeds and Burnley's promotions also saved the Premier League £17m and £39m respectively in parachute payments not needing to be paid.
That means a total saving of £95m in parachute payments through promotion.
Meanwhile, Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton were all relegated immediately after being promoted.
That ensures all three clubs are ineligible for the £17m third-year parachute payments, slashing a further £51m from the Premier League's expenditure.
It all means the Premier League could save a whopping £146m overall - which will be shared among the top 20 clubs, who would each receive a bumper bonus.
Sheffield United booked their spot in the final having fallen away from Burnley and Leeds in the automatic spots - but breezed past Bristol City 6-0 on aggregate in the play-off semi-finals.
Sunderland saw off Frank Lampard's Coventry in dramatic fashion - with the winning goal in the 122nd minute.
Black Cats midfielder Jobe Bellingham is hoping to enjoy his moment in the Wembley spotlight - a year on from his brother Jude lifting the Champions League trophy under the arch.
For team-mate Enzo Le Fee, it promises to be an emotional day.
He bravely opened up on finding his father dead in bed after he took his own life.
On the other side, Blades striker Kieffer Moore is relishing his chance to finally play on the hallowed turf - and is desperate to secure a hat-trick of promotions to the Premier League.
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