Aston Villa still power players in global football finances league

ASTON Villa remains one of the world’s football powerhouses after it featured in a new ranking of the 100 most financially powerful football clubs in the world.

It is one of only two in the West Midlands to be placed in the new Soccerex Football Finance 100 report which ranks clubs against five variables: playing assets, fixed assets, money in the bank, potential owner investment and net debt.

Villa rank in 91st place, sandwiched between Brighton and Brazilian side Fluminense, while Stoke City places in 33rd spot.

Soccerex’s report used a bespoke methodology to evaluate and rank the top 100 clubs across the planet based on their finances with Manchester City, perhaps unsurprisingly, topping the global ranking with a score of 4.883.

The report gave Aston Villa a score 0.092, with players valued at €107 million and fixed assets worth €13 million but net debt of €187 million and €0 cash in the bank.

It gives an “owner potential investment” value of €39 million. The report defined this as the potential to be invested in a football club by the owner or owner- ship group. The top ten was dominated by English clubs with Arsenal, Spurs, Manchester United and Chelsea all ranking alongside Manchester City in top spot.

Reflecting China’s growing significance in the global market and the huge investment into football there, Guangzhou Evergrande was placed in fourth. The owners of the nine largest clubs in China have a net worth of €75.1 billion and the financial potential of the Chinese Super League is underlined by nine of its clubs populating the top 100 – level with Spain and more than France, Germany and Italy. The US is the second most-represented country in the top 30 with five teams, spearheaded by LA Galaxy in 14th.

This is largely due to solid business models, high-value assets and strong investment, the report says.

David Wright, managing director of Soccerex which organises events for the football industry, said: “We wanted to create a study that provided a broader evaluation of football finances, one that reflected the modern reality of football, impacted by increased owner investment and the need for better financial management.

“By looking at factors like asset value, debt levels and crucially the amount the owner or ownership group could invest in the context of their direct environment, the report evaluates both the financial standing of each club and the economic potential they have in the market.”