Money walks: adidas will hit Manchester United hard if they fail in next week's Europa final

The Red Devils have fallen behind clubs such as fierce rivals Manchester City, and it's costing them dearly. Photo / Photosport

Manchester United's famous sponsors will put the boot into the club's finances if the glamour English outfit fails to make the Champions League again next season.

Hard on the heels of revelations about the massive amounts paid to an agent who brought glamour players to Manchester United, the scale of football business has been rammed home again with the BBC revealing the Champions League sums.

The Europa League final against Dutch side Ajax next week - the winner goes into the next Champions League - will have immediate and massive ramifications for Manchester United's financial fortunes.

Failure in Stockholm will activate a $40m penalty clause in their 10-year $1400m deal with adidas, the cuts being spread out over the remaining years of the contract. United are expected to earn something approaching $56m by being in the Champions League.

United's financial officer Cliff Baty said: "For us the bigger prize is Adidas and Champions League."

The winner in Stockholm gets $12m, with the losers due $6.5m. Baty said in a normal year, United would expect to generate between $75m and $94m in the Champions League compared to between $28m and $38m in the Europa League.