Stefan Borson claims qualifying for Europa Conference League could be bad for Newcastle

Newcastle United's European hopes appear to be completely in the toilet after failing to see out the win over Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

The Champions League and Europa League are definitely not an option for the Magpies now, but there does remain a small chance that they could qualify for the Europa Conference League.

While this would tick the 'qualify for Europe' box for Eddie Howe after what has been a very difficult season, the question is whether it's even worth it.

English clubs have done well in this competition, though, and you'd like to think that Newcastle could go on and win it if that's the competition they end up in next year.

Stefan Borson says Newcastle would be better off without Europe next season

However, football finance expert Stefan Borson has told talkSPORT that should Newcastle qualify for the Conference League, it would be almost detrimental to them.

"Almost the worst-case scenario right now for Newcastle would be accidentally qualifying for the conference in the last couple of games. That would be bad news for them from a Premier League perspective because it would take their revenue only slightly higher. It would give them quite a few games at home, which is which is obviously good, but the prize money around the Conference League is largely irrelevant. You're talking about 15 million pounds even if you win it. 

"So what that would do in the Premier League is it would reduce their cap to the 70% that they need to comply with in Europe. So that would be an issue for them. I think they're better off not having any Europe at all next season. That would then mean that from a regulatory perspective and from a compliance perspective, they'd be fine. And then I think they need to think about where they're going directionally over the future and what impact the Saudi maybe the Saudi changes on LIV (golf) if that's going to have any impact, or whether uh there's going to be a sale process, or you know whatever. I think there's a bigger picture really here with Newcastle. Sure."

Are we sure this guy is an 'expert'?

Borson may have a point about the money from winning the Conference League being minimal, but it's still a trophy, and it gets us back into Europe the following season, regardless of league standing. Also, money is money at the end of the day.

As for not having to comply with the more stringent 70% SCR cap, that's hardly a reprieve. If we qualify for Europe next season, we have to comply with that cap again, and if we've gone and pushed the limits of the Premier League's more relaxed 85% to ensure we get into Europe, then we're going to have to find that 15% again from somewhere.

There's a good reason why people tend to put more stock into what Keiran Maguire says over Stefan Borson when it comes to football finance matters. Borson is the man who has been saying that Man City's 115 charges will be resolved soon for years now.