Absolutely this.I’m totally guessing here but I reckon they may have had a big uplift on Euro Cup Scheme members these last couple of years.
On the back of winning it and then attractive final venues in Wembley and Munich. And of course, the team are that good these days, that the prospect of reaching the finals are a highly realistic prospect, rather than an unlikely dream.
So now they got the numbers… Wham.
And as Champions League games have shown in the past few years, there are plenty of what people may call "tourists" ready to pick up the slack if us "legacy fans" decide not to go.
That combined with an extra game in the first stage this year at inflated prices should mean a nice little earner for the club.