Real Madrid top football rich list for fifth year
Posted By admin on March 2, 2010
Real Madrid have topped the league table of the world’s richest
football clubs for the fifth straight year, according to Deloitte’s
sport unit.
Its Football Money League, based on data for season 2008/09, also says
Real are the first global sports team to see annual revenues top 400m
euros (£357m).
Real’s arch-rivals Barcelona have taken second spot in the list, ahead
of Manchester United who drop to third.
Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are fifth, sixth and seventh
respectively.
The authors said that United would have been top of the Money League if
the pound was still at June 2007 levels.
But they point out that, despite exchange rate issues, seven of the top
20 in its table are from England, the other three being Tottenham
(15th), Manchester City(19th), and relegated club Newcastle United
(20th).
All the 20 clubs represented are from the “big five” European leagues,
with Germany contributing five clubs, Italy four, and France and Spain
two each.
Real retained top position despite a disappointing season, coming
second in La Liga and exiting the Champions League at the Round of 16
stage.
But they were boosted by a much-improved television contract with
Mediapro, guaranteeing the club more than 1.1bn euros over seven
seasons.
Arch-rivals Barcelona had a hugely successful season, winning La Liga
and the Champions League – beating Manchester United, who won the
English Premier League in 2008/09, in the final.
“We continue to assert that the game’s top clubs are well placed to
meet the challenges presented by the difficult economic environment,”
said Deloitte’s Dan Jones, who compiled the report.
“Their large and loyal supporter bases, ability to drive broadcast
audiences, and continuing attraction to corporate partners, provide a
strong base to underpin revenues.”
He said that this was shown by the fact that the combined revenues of
the top 20 Money League clubs was over 3.9bn euros in 2008/09, up 26m
euros on the previous year.
And the majority of Money League clubs maintained average match
attendances when comparing 2008/09 with 2007/08.
There was not a great deal of movement in the top 20, with two new
clubs – Werder Bremen and Manchester City – replacing VfB Stuttgart and
Fenerbahce.
Mr Jones said the limited change “reflects the fact that those clubs
with the largest supporter bases in strongest economic markets, high
attraction to commercial partners, and consistent participation in
European competition, will dominate the top positions”.
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