Man City Collect Biggest UEFA Bonus for Releasing Players for International Duty 

Mateo Kovacic of Manchester City celebrates scoring the 0-2 goal during the English Premier League match between Everton and Manchester City in Liverpool, Great Britain, 19 April 2025. (EPA)
Mateo Kovacic of Manchester City celebrates scoring the 0-2 goal during the English Premier League match between Everton and Manchester City in Liverpool, Great Britain, 19 April 2025. (EPA)
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Man City Collect Biggest UEFA Bonus for Releasing Players for International Duty 

Mateo Kovacic of Manchester City celebrates scoring the 0-2 goal during the English Premier League match between Everton and Manchester City in Liverpool, Great Britain, 19 April 2025. (EPA)
Mateo Kovacic of Manchester City celebrates scoring the 0-2 goal during the English Premier League match between Everton and Manchester City in Liverpool, Great Britain, 19 April 2025. (EPA)

Premier League side Manchester City were allocated around 5.17 million euros ($5.94 million), the most of any UEFA club, as part of the European football governing body's Club Benefits Program to encourage national team participation by players.

A record 233 million euros were distributed to 901 clubs from all 55 member associations for releasing players to national team competitions: the 2020-21 and 2022-23 UEFA Nations League, European Championship qualifiers 2022–24 and Euro 2024.

Spanish side Real Madrid were allocated 4.79 million euros while Inter Milan of Serie A were given 4.65 million euros.

Clubs received an equal share for each player released for each UEFA Nations League and Euros qualifying match, as well as a fixed amount per player per day during the final tournament.

Clubs throughout the football pyramid benefited with a tenth-tier side – Yorkshire Amateur of England – receiving 7,300 euros.

"It is fantastic to see clubs of all sizes and levels, across the entire football pyramid, receiving financial rewards for their vital role in developing players who contribute to the success of our national team competitions - including the highly successful UEFA EURO 2024 final tournament," UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said.

"Every success of our competitions is a shared one, and this benefits program is another testament to that principle ... when football thrives, everyone benefits."

The total amount for the release of players in this cycle was 100m euros, up from 70m for the previous cycle.

The amount for the release of players for the European Championship also increased, from 130m to 140m euros, with funds going to 196 clubs from 29 UEFA member associations.



Paolini Beats Gauff to Become 1st Home Player in 40 Years to Win Italian Open

Tennis - Italian Open - Foro Italico, Rome, Italy - May 17, 2025 Italy's Jasmine Paolini celebrates winning her final match against Coco Gauff of the US REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel
Tennis - Italian Open - Foro Italico, Rome, Italy - May 17, 2025 Italy's Jasmine Paolini celebrates winning her final match against Coco Gauff of the US REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel
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Paolini Beats Gauff to Become 1st Home Player in 40 Years to Win Italian Open

Tennis - Italian Open - Foro Italico, Rome, Italy - May 17, 2025 Italy's Jasmine Paolini celebrates winning her final match against Coco Gauff of the US REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel
Tennis - Italian Open - Foro Italico, Rome, Italy - May 17, 2025 Italy's Jasmine Paolini celebrates winning her final match against Coco Gauff of the US REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel

Jasmine Paolini took advantage of the crowd’s support and beat Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-2 to become the first home player to win the Italian Open in 40 years on Saturday.

With top-ranked Jannik Sinner to play Carlos Alcaraz in the men’s final on Sunday, Italy could earn its first sweep of the Rome singles titles, The Associated Press reported.

The last Italian woman to win the open was Raffaella Reggi in 1985 in Taranto. The last local man to raise the trophy was Adriano Panatta in 1976.

Paolini and partner Sara Errani are also in the women’s doubles final and will play Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens for that trophy on Sunday.

With the country’s tennis boom in full force, Italy President Sergio Mattarella attended the woman’s final at the Foro Italico.

Numerous fans held aloft Italian flags and they constantly shouted “Vai Jasmine” (“Go Jasmine”).

The fifth-ranked Paolini was the runner-up at the French Open and Wimbledon and led Italy to the Billie Jean King Cup title last year. She’ll move up to No. 4 in the rankings on Monday — which will improve her position in the draw for the French Open next weekend.

Gauff, the 2023 US Open champion who was ranked No. 3, struggled with unforced errors and double faults. It’s the second time in two clay-court tournaments that Gauff has finished runner-up. She lost the Madrid Open final two weeks ago to Aryna Sabalenka.

Paolini also beat Gauff at a clay-court event in Stuttgart, Germany, in April.
Monica Seles in 1990 was the last woman to sweep Rome’s singles and doubles titles in the same year.