Tonight’s encounter between AC Milan and Napoli will be a battle for second place, and while that is mostly rooted in pride, there is also a financial benefit to finishing higher.
As a result of Inter’s win against Roma last night, certainly sending a signal to their rivals after scoring five goals, the nature of Napoli-Milan has changed a little. There is still a chance to put pressure on the Nerazzurri but, realistically, it’s a battle for second place.
Milan and Massimiliano Allegri have made it clear since the summer that their goal is to finish in the top four. When you hear it like that, it might sound like the position doesn’t matter as long as it’s within the top four, but that’s not the entire truth.
Money at stake
While most of the fans would name pride as the main reason for trying to finish in second rather than third, there is also a financial benefit. While it doesn’t change the Champions League revenue, there are domestic bonuses based on where you finish.
Taking a look at last season, as you can see in our image below, there was a €1.9m difference between second and third place. It’s not exactly a huge difference, but still one that shouldn’t be ignored (especially given how revenue-focused Milan are).
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