Europe’s top 20 clubs are benefiting from the boom in football and are earning £ 6.8 billion – an increase of six percent compared to the previous year
Image: Man Utd / Getty)
Manchester United were the biggest cash cow in world football last year despite missing out on the fortunes of the Champions League.
Old Trafford giants confirmed their financial dominance, earning £ 581million last season – just £ 1.5million ahead of Real Madrid – to top the list for the second straight season.
Jose Mourinho’s side picked up £ 44m from UEFA for their Europa League win – four times what the winners received four years ago as UEFA increases the financial benefits of their second club cup. And that made the difference that kept her on top.
Europe’s top 20 clubs are benefiting from the boom in football and are earning £ 6.8 billion – an increase of six percent compared to the previous year.
And it’s powered by growing Premier League television revenue – with ten of their clubs in the top 20.
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Despite La Liga and Champions League wins, which increased Real Madrid by £ 115m to nearly £ 580m, United overtook them.
Manchester City were the second highest English club at £ 453.5m ahead of Arsenal (6th, £ 419m), Chelsea (8th, £ 367.8m) and Liverpool (9th, £ 364.5m).
Southampton makes its debut in 18th place, while Leicester also occupies its highest place, climbing to 14th place.
It is the 21st time that accounting firm Deloitte has joined the Football Money League.
The numbers are the first to include the current record-breaking Premier League broadcast contract that raised £ 3.8 billion for local clubs.
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And with another fight for live games, including new media versus Sky Sports, going on for the next cycle starting in 2019, English clubs could continue to dominate for years to come.
The football boom is not subsiding – and next year’s financial winner could decide who will advance in the Champions League.
Dan Jones, partner in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, said: “European football continues to thrive financially, with sales growing nearly half a billion euros for the top 20 Money League clubs.
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“At the top we saw the closest battle for the top spot that Manchester United left Real Madrid behind to keep their title of top-selling club in the world.
“United’s ability to maintain first position is all the more impressive given the weaker pound against the euro and with both Real Madrid and Barcelona forecasting further sales growth in 2017/18, the battle for the top is likely to continue . ”-Pitch performance again next year.
“When all three clubs have reached the Champions League round of 16, it can be so easy that the club that can go the furthest in the competition has the best chance of winning the Money League next year.”
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Tim Bridge, Senior Manager in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, said: “The Deloitte Football Money League has a particularly English flair this year and with the new transfer agreement and the performance of the UEFA competitions they are driving sales growth of over half a billion Pounds on in the top 20 it’s no surprise.
“The Money League remains the most effective and respected way of comparing the financial performance of football clubs, and in the years to come it will be interesting to see how their make-up could change. With the additional changes in the qualification structure for the Champions League, it is likely that we will see some reorganization of the clubs in the years to come. “
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Three German clubs, led by Bayern Munich, three from Spain, three from Italy and one from France make it into the top 20, while AC Milan were eliminated for the first time.
Spurs are 11th, £ 43m and one place behind Juventus.
Bournemouth’s rise to the Premier League makes them the 28th richest club in Europe at £ 136m – £ 135.7m more than their income 20 years ago.
Football Money League (Courtesy Deloitte)
| Position (last year) | Sales 2016/17 (15/16) | |
| 1 (1) | Man United | £ 581.2m (£ 515.3m) |
| 2 (3) | real Madrid | 579.7 (463.8) |
| 3 (2) | Barcelona | 557.1 (463.8) |
| 4 (4) | Bayern Munich | 505.1 (442.7) |
| 5 (5) | Manchester city | 453.5 (392.6) |
| 6 (7) | arsenal | 419 (350.4) |
| 7 (6) | Paris St. Germain | 417.8 (389.6) |
| 8 (8) | Chelsea | 367.8 (334.6) |
| 9 (9) | Liverpool | 364.5 (302) |
| 10 (10) | Juventus | 348.6 (253.5) |
| 11 (12) | Tottenham | 305.6 (209.2) |
| 12 (11) | Borussia Dortmund | 285.8 (212.3) |
| 13 (13) | Atletico Madrid | 234.2 (171) |
| 14 (20) | Leicester | 233 (128.7) |
| 15 (19) | Inter Milan | 225.2 (134) |
| 16 (14) | Schalke 04 | 197.8 (167.9) |
| 17 (18) | West Ham | 183.3 (143.8) |
| 18 (-) | Southampton | 182.3 (124.3) |
| 19 (-) | Naples | 172.5 (107.8) |
| 20 (-) | Everton | 171.2 (121.5) |
