Messi was too much. Barcelona were too much. Too good on the night and across both legs.
Manchester United exited the Champions League at the quarter final stage, a round better than last year, admittedly, when Wissam Ben Yedder and Sevilla put them to the sword at Old Trafford.
Yet their place in next season’s competition is in doubt, given the chasm between the top two and the form and quality of the three other teams in the hunt for the final two places.
Manchester United are the richest club in the Premier League – indeed, one of the richest clubs in the world – and while their commercial might has propelled them to that position in recent years, the club must show its face in the Champions League football if it wishes to keep its crown.
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Under the old three-year cycle of broadcasting rights, from 2015/16 to 2017/18, the club earned only £2.5million more for winning the Europa League in 2017 than a last 16 Champions League finish last season from combined broadcasting and match day revenues - £48.5 million vs £45.9 million.
Stripping out matchday income, United earned £38.3million from UEFA broadcasting rights last season, compared to £39.5million in 2016/17.
The reason behind the low earnings last season from UEFA was because the club qualified by winning the Europa League, meaning it did not receive a distribution of the 50% market pool based on domestic performances in the 2016/17 season.
Manchester United’s earnings from the TV pool fund were a mere €13.5million, this being based on the number of games played by other English teams in last season's Champion's League.
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For reference, having won the Premier League in 2017, Chelsea’s TV pool money of €40.6million was higher than Manchester United’s entire prize money pot from UEFA, the club having finished sixth in the Premier League that year.
When the club publishes 2018/19 results later this year, they will see a massive uptick in broadcasting income from UEFA competitions under the latest three-year agreement, which increased prize money on average by around a third.
For one, Manchester United’s second place finish in 2018 will ensure the club has a much meatier share of the TV pool money for 2018/19.
It’s next season where the club may come unstuck, if they finish outside the top four and face a season in the Europa League.
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Not only is the prize money far less lucrative, the club will begin to face pressure from sponsors to re-establish itself in the Champions League, being punished financially if they face multiple seasons outside of the competition.
“Failure to participate in the Champions League for two or more consecutive seasons would reduce annual payments under the agreement with adidas by 30% of the applicable payment for the year in which the second or other consecutive season of non-participation fall,” the club notes of its £75million a season deal with the German sportswear giant.
Champions League qualification is essential.
Defeat at the hands of Barcelona means they have just one avenue to do so remaining - and they simply must not fail.
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