Winning the group would allow Chivu and Tudor to avoid most big teams. And secure a handsome treasure trove of millions…
One path downhill and one uphill: with the end of the first four groups` matches, the knockout stage bracket of the Club World Cup is taking a well-defined shape. And two very different paths appear on the horizon for the two Italian teams. On one side, the majority of the big teams; on the other, more manageable opponents but the risk of a Derby d`Italia on American soil. With consequences, also and especially, regarding the rich prizes guaranteed by FIFA for each round advanced. Here are the two possible scenarios.
Inter`s Club World Cup Bracket
Having survived the scare against Urawa Red Diamonds and archived the shaky debut against Monterrey, Inter arrives at the last group stage match with more certainties and the possibility of making various calculations. Chivu`s team plays for everything tonight at 3 am against River Plate. A draw will be enough to qualify. But observing how the bracket is shaping up from the Round of 16 onwards, finishing first in Group E becomes increasingly important. Not only because 3 points against the Argentinians would immediately guarantee almost 2 million euros more (each group win pays 1.9 million, a draw 0.9 million), but also for the bracket consideration: in case of qualifying as group winners, Inter would play the Round of 16 against the second-placed team from Group F (at 9 pm Italian time on Monday, July 30). This means one of Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, and Mamelodi – where everything is still open – but above all, it would avoid encountering giants like PSG, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Manchester City (as they stand now) who would all be grouped on the other side of the bracket. Passing as second in the group would heavily change the perspective: at that point, the risk would become ending up in a gauntlet of top teams.
Eyes on 100 Million
Continuing the American journey in the Club World Cup brings not just prestige, but also (a lot of) money. Currently, Inter has already earned 24 million for participation and another 2.8 million from the results obtained in the group stage – one win and one draw – for a total of 26.8 million. By winning against River, Chivu`s team would immediately put another 8.9 million in the bank: 1.9 million for the group stage win and 7 million for reaching the Round of 16. It could have gone much worse. The interesting part comes in case of advancing past the Round of 16: by reaching the quarterfinals, FIFA would pay the Nerazzurri another 12.2 million for a match that could then become… the Derby d`Italia against Juventus. Or, equally fascinating, a hypothetical clash against Simone Inzaghi`s Al-Hilal. Virtuаlly continuing the path, another 19.5 million would then arrive in case of a semi-final, plus another 27.9 million if the eventual final is lost or 37.2 million by triumphing in the competition. Practically “The Road to El Dorado”: with the right alignments, the 26.8 million already earned by Inter “could” realistically skyrocket to 104.6 million. And thus, the Nerazzurri`s transfer market would take a decidedly different turn…
Juventus`s Club World Cup Bracket
For Juventus too, first place would allow them to end up on the `right` side of the bracket. In the Round of 16, Tudor`s team would in fact face the second-placed team from Group H (likely Salzburg or Inzaghi`s Al Hilal), then in the quarterfinals one of Inter or River Plate, Borussia Dortmund or Fluminense: especially if the Argentinians were to win the Nerazzurri`s group, these are all manageable opponents. Even a potential semi-final, against one of Palmeiras, Botafogo, Benfica, and Chelsea, would not see them facing a powerhouse at that point. By doing so, the Bianconeri would earn over 60 million (18/20 for participation, between 5 and 6 for group results, 7 for access to the Round of 16, 12.2 for the quarterfinals, and 19.5 for the semi-final) which would become 88 or 98 million depending on the outcome of the final. Everything becomes much more complicated, however, if Juve were to lose tomorrow against Manchester City and finish second. On Tudor`s path, they would most likely immediately face Real Madrid in the Round of 16, then in the quarterfinals again one of Inter or River Plate, Borussia Dortmund or Fluminense, and even one of PSG, Bayern, or Flamengo in the semi-finals. And the prize money, in this case, risks being halved compared to the easier path to the semi-finals that the other side of the bracket would allow.
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