According to Deloitte’s Football Money League report released for the 21st time this year, the revenue of the 20 football clubs making the highest amount of money is close to 8 billion euros. The highest share was generated by Premier League. Manchester United took the first rank with 676 million euros. The top three clubs of Turkey are not included this year among the top 30.

THE FOLLOWING

statement by Johan Cruyff, named among the legendary football players worldwide, passed into the history of football: “Why not to be able to defeat a rich club? I never saw a case full of money to score a goal.” Football, the most popular sport in the world and followed by millions of people, became a huge industry.The jaw-dropping payments for transfers, the revenues of clubs outperforming the huge conglomerates, are followed with curiosity. Therefore, the Football Money League Report, released regularly by Deloitte since many years, is awaited with great interest.

According to the Football Money League report released by Deloitte for the 21st time this year, the top 20 clubs getting the highest revenue increased their earnings by 6 per cent to 7.9 billion euros in the season of 2016/2017. Manchester United which toppled Real Madrid and took leadership after 11 years on the Football Money League in 2017, maintained its rank with a revenue of 676.3 million euros in 2018 too. Manchester United is followed by Real Madrid with 674.6 million euros. Barcelona took the 3rd spot with a revenue of 648.3 million euros. The German Bayern Munich retained the fourth rank and the British Manchester City retained the fifth.

THE SHARE OF BRITISH CLUBS IS 3.8 BILLION EUROS

A large share of the revenue-about 45 per cent-of the football clubs in the season of 2016/17 was generated by the broadcast rights and Premier League represents the largest portion. On the ranking, Britain takes the lead with 10 clubs. The share of the British clubs in the total was 3.8 billion euros. On the ranking, Germany, Spain and Italy took part, each with three teams. At the money league, the unique team from France was Paris Saint-Germain. The famous Italian club AC Milan, failing for the first time to rank among the top 20 on the Football Money League, was worth attention.

Previously, the Turkish clubs Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe were ranked two times among the top 20 and last year, they took part among the top 30. However, the revenue of both clubs decreased during the two last seasons. Therefore, they were not ranked in 2018. On the other hand, despite its spectacular revenue growth, Beşiktaş couldn’t take part in ranking.

TAKING PART IN RANKING BECOMES MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT

Cem Sezgin who is one of the partners of Deloitte Turkey Consultancy Services and Football Industry Specialist, assessed the important changes occurring in the ranking. “It becomes more and more difficult to be qualified for ranking. The total income of the top 20 clubs within the Football Money League, is close to 8 billion euros. This is a record and an unbelievable figure. To find the source of this revenue, one should look at 10 years ago. In 1998 which was the first year of Football Money League, 36 million euros were enough to be qualified for ranking and in 2008, this figure surged to 97 million euros; whereas in 2018, this figure doubled to 200 million euros compared to 10 years ago.

The turnovers of the clubs in the top three ranks are so high that they can easily force the top 50 companies compared to the largest companies in our country” he tells. As for the main factor growing the revenue, the broadcast revenues arise as the main resource. In 2018, 45 per cent of the total revenue of the top 20 football clubs were generated by the broadcast right revenues. Given that this figure was 39 per cent one year ago, this is a very important surge During 21 years, the top rank has been exchanged between 2 clubs only. Real Madrid, winning all cups last year and winning also both UEFA Champions League and de la Liga, fell behind Manchester United as in the past year. The team with purple and white uniforms, won three times the Champions League during the last 7 seasons and they have been semi-finalists in the other 4 seasons.

Manchester United which took back the top spot from Real Madrid in 2017 after 11 years, managed to retain its position albeit with a slight difference. At this point, the revenue generated by UEFA European League championship should not be omitted. This championship has been a shot in the arm for the red evils longing for cup in Europe since long. The cup generated an UEFA revenue of 44.5 million euros. UEFA has been generous in order to make the European League more attractive.

Atletico Madrid winning the cup during the season 2011/12, could hardly make one fourth of this money. Barcelona, with 5 championships and 3 secondary positions in La Liga during the eight seasons, won championship 2 times at the Champions League during the same period and played semi-final and quarter-final for three times. Since 2007, Barça failed only once to rank among the top three and it’s placed on the third rank in 2018. These three clubs remained among the last 16 at UEFA Champions League and apparently, which team among them will outperform the rivals for the cup at the end of the season, will also determine the ranking among the three clubs.

Turkish clubs are not qualified for the ranking in 2018

Previously, the Turkish clubs Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray were ranked two times among the top 20. And last year, both clubs were ranked among the top 30. However, the failure to win championship at Superleague during the last two seasons and the failure to advance in the European category, reduced significantly the revenue of both clubs. Thus, they couldn’t take part in the ranking.

On the other hand, when the 30 teams are compared for the years 2017 and 2018 to see the changes, some notions are worth to underline. 26 of 30 clubs didn’t change. What changed is the following: 4 new British clubs were included to the list and 2 British clubs dropped out of the list. The 2 other clubs not qualified for the list are Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe.

The fact that even Beşiktaş, retaining two times successively Super League title, making significant earnings from the Champions League finishing on the third rank within its group and as a team playing quarter-final at UEFA European League, catching the highest average number of spectators of Superleague in its brand new stadium and mainly, witnessing double fold growth in its store revenues, doesn’t take part among these top 30 clubs, is worth attention.

For example, the money Bournemouth generated from broadcast bidding, is almost equal to the total revenue of Beşiktaş. For EPL, the last tender was held for 3 years beginning from 2016/7 season and the annual amount was set to 1.7 billion pounds (1.9 billion euros). And the tender in Turkey was held for 5 years to begin from 2017/8 season and to generate a revenue of 410 million euros. This figure is almost one fifth of Premier League. Furthermore, the new tender in our country will shape the figures as of this season. That’s why it was not included in 2018 Football Money League.

The causes are summarized as follow in Deloitte’s Football Money League: “When talking about the competitiveness of the Turkish clubs, the other causes to be mentioned are the devaluation of Turkish lira, the relatively low seating capacity of our stadiums, the sports gear and other goods relatively cheaper than the products in Europe and some of our European competitors having fans not only in their countries of origin but in other parts of the world too.”