Leeds and Southampton face off at Wembley Stadium on Sunday in the richest match in football history, battling it out for a favourable position in the Premier League.
Promotion to England’s top league is worth an estimated 140 million pounds ($178 million) to the winner of the Championship playoff final.
No other sport has the potential to offer such wealth, with clubs promoted to the Premier League receiving significantly increased match-day, broadcast and commercial revenues.
Financial experts Deloitte say that any team promoted this weekend could ultimately pocket up to £305 million if they avoid relegation next season.
The prize money is a big bonus, but it’s the prestige of competing with the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal, rather than weaker second-tier sides like Plymouth or Oxford, that will motivate two teams desperate to regain Premier League status after a year of exile.
Relegation from the top flight can be devastating, but Leeds and Southampton have handled it well and are one win away from returning to the promised land.
Leeds finished third in the Championship, three points behind fourth-placed Southampton, but were unfortunate to miss out on the automatic promotion spots, losing their spot to Ipswich instead.
Leeds bounced back and fulfil their potential by beating Norwich 4-0 in the second leg of the play-off semi-final.
Having beaten Leeds twice during the regular season, Southampton impressed by beating West Bromwich Albion 3-1 in the second leg to qualify for the final.
Both clubs feel the Premier League is the better venue given their large fan bases and long histories in the top league.
But there are bitter memories in the past for Leeds, who have failed in their previous five attempts to win promotion through the play-offs.
The three-time English champions have not won at Wembley Stadium since facing Liverpool in the Charity Shield in 1992, making this their first appearance in 17 years.
They will be encouraged by the presence of manager Daniel Farke, who led Norwich to automatic promotion to the Premier League in 2019 and 2021.
“I didn’t like his decision.”
“We know it’s an important game and we’re more focused than usual because it’s the final, but it’s also important to stay calm and find a good balance,” said Farke.
“It’s a 50-50 game, but it also means it’s a massive opportunity to get promoted to the Premier League at the first try, so we’re really excited about that.”
The promotion would be a Hollywood ending for Leeds, coming just weeks after film star Will Ferrell became a shareholder in the club’s ownership group, 49ers Enterprises.
The star-studded consortium also includes actor Russell Crowe, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps and golfers Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas.
Surprisingly, Farke has a history of rivalry with Southampton manager Russell Martin, who played under Farke at Norwich before being released from his contract by mutual consent in 2018.
Farke was full of praise for Martin on Friday, saying: “He was my captain at Norwich and he always saw things with a manager’s eye.”
But Martin, who captained Norwich to victory over Middlesbrough in the Championship play-off final in 2015, admitted his departure from Carrow Road marked a difficult time in his career.
“I really didn’t like his decision at the time, and I can’t sit here and pretend that’s the case,” he said.
“We’ve never had any personal issues. I think people really wanted us to do that and still want us to do that because it’s a good story.”
Despite Martin’s conciliatory attitude, winning promotion at the expense of Farke will clearly be a happy moment for the coach, who urged his team to seize the opportunity.
“It’s an honor to play in such a big game,” he said.
“They have the opportunity to have an amazing experience that they will never forget.”
smg/nf
