THE Deloitte Football Money League always makes interesting reading, but its annual appearance reminds us what big-time football has become – a major global industry. The past 10 years has created footballing behemoths, but never has the gulf between the elite and the also-rans been so great. It would be wrong to say football has never been about the rich and poor. The composition of … Continue reading Football’s decade of capitalism
EVERTON’S pursuit of success isn’t working at the moment as evidenced by their financials for 2018-19. The club recently appointed one of European football’s most successful managers, Carlo Ancelotti, prompting great enthusiasm and hope that Everton can turn the corner. But the announcement of their financial performance, coming just after a Liverpool second string side knocked the Toffees out of the FA Cup, has really … Continue reading Everton record loss – better days ahead?
CHELSEA received almost a quarter of a billion pounds in additional funding from owner Roman Abramovich as the club made a loss of around £ 100 million in 2018-19. Chelsea’s turnover totalled £ 447 million which was more or less on par with 2017-18 (£ 443) as a result of lower broadcasting (£200m) and matchday income (£67m) streams. Commercial income was up by 9% to … Continue reading Chelsea make a loss as revenues flat-line, but what of the future?
REAL MADRID is, arguably, the most famous football club in the world. The queues of people that snake their way around the club’s impressive Bernabéu Stadium, even on days when the team is not in town, makes Real one of the Spanish capital’s major landmarks. Real Madrid is also the most valuable football brand in world football. Valued at €1.65 billion, the club is ahead … Continue reading Football’s top brand – Real Madrid
FOOTBALL is an industry awash with cash, but as economists and analysts continue to speculate about the possibility of a downturn in 2020, how will clubs cope with the economic uncertainty that could compromise their financial stability? Football business news site Off the Pitch reports. If anyone wants a reminder of how a serious global recession can impact professional football, just visit Valencia in Spain … Continue reading Recession and Premier League clubs – factors to consider
WHEN a financial institution becomes involved in discussions about the future of football, it doesn’t sit very comfortably. It will undoubtedly be good for accountants, lawyers, bankers, intermediaries and the main protagonists (in other words, the clubs in the driving seat) but for the future of the game and the eco-system that supports it, questions have to be asked about the intentions of the parties … Continue reading World Football League – driven by greed, not excellence
IT SEEMS impossible to avoid some form of military presence when any major football event is taking place. Whether it is a game old cock rattling a tin or somebody dressed in khaki bringing a trophy onto the pitch, there seems to be a deep desire to attach the game to Britain’s armed forces. Football continues to be used as an opportunity for mass engagement, … Continue reading Football and the military: An uncomfortable alignment
MANCHESTER CITY’s historic 2018-19 season has not only been reflected in a trophy-packed boardroom, it has helped to deliver record revenues for the treble-winning Cityzens. City’s revenues totalled £ 535 million, the second successive season in which the club broke the half billion mark. In 2018-19, revenues rose by 7% while expenses dropped by 18%. City generated a profit of £ 10.1 million, just short … Continue reading Manchester City’s “decade of hard work” closes the gap
SIX YEARS on from the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United have become rich under-achievers. After all, this is the world’s wealthiest club bar one or two, with one billion fans but they are absent from the competition that was created for their like – the UEFA Champions League. United have released their first quarter results this week and although their revenues are more … Continue reading Manchester United’s malaise hits the bank balance
NORWICH CITY are one of football’s yo-yo clubs, bouncing between divisions with regularity, mostly without a sense of panic that grips many clubs when they suffer reversals. The club is also one of those football institutions that people genuinely like – unthreatening, unassuming and surviving on a diet of little victories and the ability to periodically mount a successful promotion campaign. In the modern game, … Continue reading Norwich City count the cost of promotion
THERE WAS some encouraging news for Rangers in their 2018-19 financial results, but the figures also revealed just how far the club is behind “old firm” rivals Celtic. Rangers made a loss of £ 11.3 million despite revenues climbing by 63% to £ 53.2 million, boosted by a lengthy involvement in the Europa League. Chairman David King said the financial year had been positive, although … Continue reading Rangers’ slow road back continues
EVERY DAY you can read about a major football club establishing an eSports presence or strategy. Clubs like Schalke, Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, Ajax, Manchester City, Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers have seen the value in creating initiatives around a rapidly growing part of the sports world. For some, the fusion of “real” sport with technology-driven gaming activities, is difficult to understand. It may be a … Continue reading eSports and football clubs – foresight for Fortnite?
SINCE THE European Cup was introduced in 1955, there have been 22 different winners of the competition. This list includes some of Europe’s biggest names as well as some unlikely champions. The last “new” winner was Chelsea in 2012, and equally telling, the last team from outside the accepted top 20 most powerful clubs was Porto in 2004. It has gradually become a closed shop. … Continue reading The Champions League and the preservation of elitism
