Eurosport - Thu, 12 Feb 14:03:00 2009
Real Madrid remain the world's richest football club, while English clubs have been hit by the declining value of the pound, according to an annual survey by accountancy firm Deloitte.
Manchester United and Barcelona held their respective second and third positions in the latest "Football Money League" report on the world's 20 biggest soccer clubs ranked by revenue.
"If the exchange rate value of the pound had not depreciated, there would have been nine, rather than seven English clubs in the top 20 and Manchester United would have topped the Money League ahead of Real Madrid," said Dan Jones, partner in the Sports business group at Deloitte.
The impact of the current economic downturn on club revenues was not measured in the report from the 2007-08 season.
But top clubs should weather the crisis, thanks to loyal fan bases and long-term broadcast and sponsors contracts, Deloitte said.
"The unique nature of the football industry will enable major clubs to be relatively resistant to the economic downturn," said Paul Rawnsley, director in the sports business group
Primera Liga champions Real Madrid saw their revenues rise by four per cent to 366 million euros (£330.6m).
Manchester United, the Premier League and Champions League winners, posted a 21 per cent increase in revenues to 324.8m euros (£293.5m).
The top 20 clubs' aggregate revenue grew by six per cent to 3.9 billion eurosm (£3.5bn) in 2007-08.
The ranking was dominated by European clubs, with the number of English clubs growing to seven from six, four from both Germany and Italy and two each from Spain and France.
Fenerbahce became the first Turkish club to feature in the ranking since its creation in 1996-97.
Bayern Munich, whose revenues were boosted by the club acquiring the entire ownership of its home ground, climbed three places to fourth, reaching the top places for the first time in five years. Chelsea dropped one place to fifth.
Celtic, Valencia and Werder Bremen dropped out. Manchester City climbed to 20th position largely due to the increase in broadcast revenues received from the Premier League before the club's take over by the Abu Dhabi-based owners.
RICH LIST TOP 10 (all figures in milion euros)
1 (1) REAL MADRID
2007/08 revenues: 365.8 (from 351.0 in 2006/07)
Matchday: 101.0 / Broadcasting: 135.8 / Commercial: 129.0
2 (2) MANCHESTER UNITED
2007/08 revenues: 324.8 (from 315.2)
Matchday: 128.2 / Broadcasting: 115.7 / Commercial: 80.9
3 (3) BARCELONA
2007/08 revenues: 308.8 (from 290.1)
Matchday: 91.5 / Broadcasting: 116.2 / Commercial: 101.1
4 (7) BAYERN MUNICH
2007/08 revenues: 295.3 (from 223.3)
Matchday: 69.4 / Broadcasting: 49.4 / Commercial: 176.5
5 (4) CHELSEA
2007/08 revenues: 268.9 (from 283.0)
Matchday: 94.1 / Broadcasting: 97.8 / Commercial: 77.0
6 (5) ARSENAL
2007/08 revenues: 264.4 (from 263.9)
Matchday: 119.5 / Broadcasting: 88.8 / Commercial 56.1
7 (8) LIVERPOOL
2007/08 revenues: 210.9 (from 206.5)
Matchday: 49.5 / Broadcasting: 96.4 / Commercial: 65.0
8 (6) AC MILAN
2007/08 revenues: 209.5 (from 228.7)
Matchday: 26.7 / Broadcasting: 122.5 / Commercial: 60.3
9 (11) ROMA
2007/08 revenues: 175.4 (from 145.2)
Matchday: 23.4 / Broadcasting: 105.7 / Commercial: 46.3
10 (9) INTERNAZIONALE
2007/08 revenues: 172.9 (from 176.7)
Matchday: 28.4 / Broadcasting: 107.7 / Commercial: 36.8
Comment 16 - 35 of 35
Mna U yomweyo, kaya mukuti Reya MADILIDI ZANU ZIMEZO.
we r not just the richest club in da world,, we also the best in da world...
HALA MADRID!!!
united all d way
i would have liked that this analysis took into consideration the amount of debts of the lubs to decide who is the richest and if that parameter was taken into account i dont think u would see as many english clubs... man u for example is excessively in debt !
reaal madrid hahah, the best club in the world, and richest
Barca is 3rd without a Commercial Shirt Sponsor.....plus we give money to UNICEF in return.
I knew Papa Scolari was going to fail woefully at the stamford "punctured" bridge. He is not a club coach and our worry is his dainted records.. SORRY O! but you may now appreciate the chief himself SIR Alex, the best in england, europe and the world, anyday any time..UNITED 4-EVER-MORE!
I can see that Liverpool suppoters are losing it they can stand that Man U are far much better than them. consistency z the name of the game.
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city with too much of a noise, poor uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu....................................
Barca is the only team, wher is on Liverpool level! They are clearly the best, and not the richest!!! MU and Real are monopole clubs, with no financial problems, never! Cos they are just about business! And Ferguson is betting behind the coulissas! That's for sure!
A scotsman make good economic decisions, do you want to run the country Fergie?
maybe MU fullfil 76000, but thats all! Liverpool makes every stadium full!!!! If Liverpool got a 100 000 stadium, then it would be full to!!! Liverpool FC needs and deserves Stanley Park!!! (At least 78000 needed) And one Kopite is much more than, 25 idiot united "fan" in any aspects!!! And thats true!!!
And don't be grinning you lot from the other side of the great unwashed...
Taken from the Telegraph, 2nd richest my arse. By my reckoning my pub team are above Man U. in the rich list.
"The Glazers bought United for £777 million in May 2005, and at the end of the 2006/07 season they were £453 million in debt from bank borrowings - over half of the entire Premier League's total borrowings from banks - and £152 million in debt from other loans"
£43 million pound profit, good bit of business, well done Fergie.
If the exchange rate stays as it is and they sell him this summer for 200 millions euros (£200 million pounds).
Good bit of business by Man U, if they had sold Ronaldo last summer they'd had have got 200 million euros (£157 million pound at the exchange rate then).
To all you folks with sky blue shades on. Who said Man City were the richest club in the world? Sky News? The Sun? A wealthy owner with cash to burn does not necessarily mean your club is the richest in the world.
What's funny is that by boasting about being rich, City and their fans are in fact pricing themselves out of players they may actually have a chance of signing or conning themselves into massively overpaying for average ones, making a fool of themselves into the bargain. 14 million for Bellamy anyone? I'll give it six months before he stops scoring, has an argument in the dressing room and goes in a huff. After which you'll get 6 mill back, maybe.
Kaka was never going to sign for you even after you offered him megabucks, I doubt many other top stars will either.
Championship next season city, where you MAY be the richest club. How I will laugh.
utd would be 3rd in this list if Barca didn't have a non-profit sponsor on the front on their shirts, thumbs up to Barca for displaying a charity cause, other clubs should follow suit and be less greedy.
where is arsenal's money goin????
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