Champions League winner could pocket 100 mln euros-study

ATHENS, May 22 (Reuters) The winner of tomorrow's Champions League final between AC Milan and Liverpool could earn as much as 100 million euros in rising sponsorship and TV deals, increased players' values and higher ticket sales, an international survey showed today.

The survey, commissioned by MasterCard, one of the sponsors of the Champions League, also showed the victorious club's home city could expect a significant cash injection.

The city of Liverpool made an estimated 70 million euros following the club's 2005 win against AC Milan, while Portugal's Porto enjoyed an estimated 12 million boost after the team's 2004 victory.

''The experts found that the winning club is likely to enjoy increased sponsorship, TV revenue, gate receipts and player value - although the estimated reward of up to 100 million (euros) is less than many of Europe's top clubs have spent on transfers and wages in the past few seasons,'' the company said in a statement.

The study conducted by KRC Research polled 12 leading European football and business experts including economists, academics and football commentators.

REUTERS BJR KN1740