Inter report €102.4m loss but 72% gain on digital platforms
December 1 – Inter Milan have reported losses of €102.4 million for the 2019/20 financial year, that covers the suspension of the season in March when the covid pandemic hit.
Finance
Serie B dips toe into new media and VC waters with new rights company
December 1 – Following the lead of their bigger brothers, Italy’s Serie B clubs have formed a new media rights company to manage the leagues marketing and broadcast assets.
Atlético Madrid show €1.8m profit but debt balloons to €999m
November 30 – Spain’s Atlético Madrid will report a net profit of €1.8 million for the 2019/20 season despite debt rising to a massive €999 million, according to reports.
West Brom’s Lai is latest Chinese owner looking to exit European club game
November 26 – The trend of Chinese investors exiting European club ownership looks set to continue if West Bromwich Albion owner Guochuan Lai (pictured) can complete a reported £150 million deal with a US consortium.
Spurs slump to £67m loss as Levy warns of another £150m if stadium stays shut
By David Owen
November 24 – Tottenham Hotspur’s reign at the top of the Premier League profits table is over, with chairman Daniel Levy warning that a further £150 million of revenue could be lost irrecoverably in the present financial year if the club’s shiny new stadium remains closed to fans.
Table-topping Rangers defy Covid by growing revenue – but still post near £18m loss
By David Owen
November 22 – Rangers, the Glasgow club which has built up an eight-point lead in pursuit of their first Scottish top-flight title in a decade, has posted an increased loss for the year to end-June 2020.
Serie A agree €1.7bn deal with CVC and Advent for stake in new rights holding business
November 20 – After months of twists and turns, Italy’s Serie A has finally agreed a deal to sell a 10% stake in a newly created media and commercial rights holding company to private equity firms CVC and Advent. They will pay a reported €1.7 billion for their position, delivering a much needed cash injection for the debt-laden clubs.
Clubs for sale: US investors eye the post-pandemic opportunities in Europe
By Paul Nicholson
November 19 – Private equity money looking to make a play in the football business is not being discouraged by the pandemic with investors increasingly looking at opportunities outside the higher priced top tiers of the Big 5 league clubs.
LaLiga salary cap cuts club spending by more than €600m with Barca hardest hit
By Samindra Kunti
November 18 – La Liga has acted to keep club spending under control by reduced salary caps across its two leagues by more than €600 million because of the coronavirus pandemic. Clubs are currently on track to overspend their income by €500 million.
Belated finale of 2019-20 season cannot stop Man Utd posting another loss
By David Owen
November 13 – Higher broadcasting revenue was not enough to prevent inconsistent Manchester United from reporting a pre-tax loss of £27.1 million for the first quarter of 2020-21, as coronavirus continued to exact a heavy toll on football club finances.
Pandemic widens gap between rich and poor clubs as player transfers slow, finds CIES report
November 12 – The annual player demographic census by the CIES Football Observatory shows the immediate impact the coronavirus pandemic has had in slowing down the movement of players and “strengthening” the gaps between the elite clubs and league and the rest.
Swiss government steps in with two-year $194m loan fund for clubs fighting for their lives
November 6 – The Swiss government has earmarked loans totalling CHF175 million ($194 million) per year 0 for 2020 and 2021 – for sports clubs in the country to enable them to survive the financial impact of the coronavirus.
Rangers to raise £4m with second share offer in a month
November 5 – Scottish Premier League leaders Rangers have announced a second share issue in less than a month, with the second issue set to raise £4 million with the club having last month raised £4 million from an Asia-based investor.
Relegated Norwich put 2019-20 Covid impact at £12.7m, but still turn a profit
By David Owen
November 5 – Norwich City, the club known as the Canaries, managed to record a small profit in their brief return to the Premier League, in spite of finishing a distant last in the table.
Report highlights esports opportunity as a long term strategy for club brands
November 4 – With the world in various stages of lockdown and fans in most countries unable to attend matches in stadia, the opportunity of engaging with fans via esports has not been lost on clubs or leagues.