La Liga champions FC Barcelona has broken financial records to reach the top of the Deloitte Football Money League (DMFL) for the first time ever and has also become the first club to break the €800m barrier after registering a revenue of €840.8m
The annual report, which has been published eight months after the end of the 2018/19 season, profiles the highest revenue generating clubs in world football with this 23rd edition also registering the largest gap between first (Barcelona) and second (Real Madrid) at €83.5m.
Barca, who’s revenue has been increasing steadily year on year, has seen a substantial jump in this latest report from last season’s €690.4m, with the sudden growth being attributed to the club taking charge of its own merchandising and licensing activities.
As a result, the Catalan outfit is on course to be the first club to generate over €1bn in the future and is expected to retain its position next year.
Dan Jones, partner in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, commented: “Barca is a clear example of a club adapting to changing market conditions, reducing the reliance on broadcast revenue and focusing on growing revenues within its control.”
As well as Barca’s record breaking figures, the study also found that despite finishing in third with total revenue of €711.5 million, Manchester United is ‘at risk’ of losing it’s status as the English Premier League’s highest earning club for the first time ever.
This is due to the fact that the English club’s projected revenue for the 2019/20 season is set to drop to €660m partly as a consequence of the Old Trafford side’s failure to qualify for this season’s UEFA Champions League tournament.
Sam Boor, senior manager in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, added: “The impact of participation and performance in UEFA club competitions on revenue is evident in London and the North West, with the rise of Liverpool, Manchester City and Spurs driven by reaching the Champions League knockout stages.
The relative decline of Arsenal is a direct result of not participating in the competition for a second consecutive season, a fate that may also befall Manchester United.”
Moreover, the 23rd edition of the DMFL also saw a return to the top 10 for Serie A champions Juventus, with the Italians having benefited from increased commercial interest following the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid.
Other The key findings of the latest edition include:
- The combined revenues of the top 20 highest earning football clubs saw a growth of 11% to €9.3bn, a new record;
- Tottenham Hotspur are eighth, the club’s highest ever position, and have overtaken Arsenal and Chelsea to become London’s highest revenue generating club for the first time since 1996/97;
- The Premier League features the most clubs in the Money League top 20 with eight entries, Italy is second with four, both Germany and Spain registered three teams each and France saw clubs included;
- The composition of the top 20 overall remains relatively stable with only two new entrants to the Money League – Olympique Lyonnais ranked 17th (up from 28th) and Napoli ranked 20th (up from 21st).
