Man United overhaul Spanish duo as Europe’s biggest earners
ZURICH: Manchester United enjoyed the biggest revenue of any European club in the last financial year after a 32 % increase propelled them above Real Madrid and Barcelona, UEFA said in an annual report published on Tuesday.
The European Club Football Landscape report said revenues among Europe’s 700-odd topflight clubs totalled €18.5 billion for 2016, compared to 16.9 billion in 2015 and 2.8 billion in 1996.
However, the report acknowledged that nearly half that amount - 9.1 billion euros - was generated by 30 clubs and that the financial gap between the elite ones and the rest was increasing.
United’s revenue for 2016 was €689 million, compared to €521 million in 2015, the report said.
United were followed by Barcelona and Real Madrid (both 620 million), Bayern Munich (592 million), Paris St Germain (542 million) and Manchester City (533 million).
United’s operating profit of €232 million was also the highest followed by Real Madrid, PSG, Bayern Munich, Arsenal and City.
United was also burdened with the highest net debt of €561 million, ahead of Benfica, Inter Milan, Juventus and Liverpool.
The report confirmed that the English Premier League enjoys by far the highest revenues in Europe, averaging €244.4 million per club.
Next was Germany’s Bundesliga with 149.6 million per club followed by Spain (126.3 million) and Italy (100.2 million)
“Once more, we cannot help but note that the polarisation of commercial and sponsorship revenues between the top tier of clubs and the rest is accelerating,” UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said.
Sixteen of the top 20 clubs in terms of domestic broadcast reve- ($22.6bn) is the total revenues of Europe’s 700-odd top flight clubs in 2016 which is higher than 16.9 bn in 2015. In 1996, they were 2.8bn. spent in the 2017 European summer transfer window, including six out of the top 20 transfer fees of all time.
in revenue the English clubs generated on an average, the highest in Europe. nues were English with Manchester United top on 146 million, edging out Real Madrid and Barcelona.
The report confirmed that transfer spending reached record levels of almost €5.6 billion in the European summer of 2017, including six of the top 20 most expensive transfers ever.
Arsenal were the club who made the most from paying fans. UEFA said their yield of €97.8 per spectator was the highest rise in sponsorship, 7% rise in gate receipts, 64% rise in TV revenue, 105% rise in transfer income and 106% rise in UEFA prize money & solidarity payments for European clubs.
rise in sponsorship, 7% rise in gate receipts, 64% rise in TV revenue, 105% rise in transfer income and 106% rise in UEFA prize money & solidarity payments for European clubs.
RONALDINHO RETIRES
SAO PAULO: Brazilian World Cup winner Ronaldinho has formally confirmed his retirement , more than two years since his last appearance as a professional, reports i n Brazil said.“he stopped, we’re going to do something really big, after the World Cup, we’ll do several events in Brazil, Europe and Asia, and of course, we’re watching a game with the Brazilian team,” his brother Roberto Assis said. the wage bill of Barcelona is the highest wage club of any single club.
DIEGO’S FAMILY DRAMA
BUESNOS AIRES: Diego Maradona has family drama on his plate: bad blood between a ready-towed daughter and his wife. Dalma Maradona is due to marry in April and apparently failed to invite her stepmother. Argentine media are buzzing over whether the soccer star, will attend at all. Asked about his plans, Maradona was blunt. “My wife is Rocio (Oliva). And if she is not invited, I’m not going,” he said.