In a surprising turn of events, Real Madrid has claimed the top spot in the annual Deloitte Football Money League, surpassing Manchester City, despite City’s triumphant treble in the previous season.
The Deloitte report reveals another unexpected outcome: the revenue of the top 20 wealthiest men’s football clubs increased by 14%, reaching £9 billion last season. Tottenham has surpassed Chelsea to become the richest club in London.
However, the report indicates a slowdown in Premier League dominance, with only eight English clubs making it to the top 20, compared to 11 in the 2021-22 season. Liverpool’s on-field struggles resulted in a significant drop from third to seventh place, with revenue dipping from £594.3 million to £593.8 million. Manchester United (£649 million) slipped to fifth place, while Tottenham (£549 million) climbed to eighth, surpassing Chelsea (£513 million) in ninth and Arsenal (£463 million) in tenth. Leicester City, Leeds United, and Everton dropped out of the top 20, making way for Eintracht Frankfurt, Napoli, and Marseille.
Tim Bridge, lead partner in Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, commented, “It shows that the Premier League can’t rest on its laurels. It’s worth noting that while domestic TV rights have risen slightly, the league has had to give away more matches to achieve that.”
Real Madrid reclaimed the top position by boosting their revenues by £119 million to £723 million, fueled by sold-out stadiums, strong retail performances, and increased sponsorship income. Manchester City also performed well, generating a record £718 million in revenues during the 2021-22 season. Bridge mentioned that City’s 53,400-seat stadium somewhat restrained their performance, questioning how they can surpass the €100 million revenue mark, a threshold for clubs with innovative new stadiums.
In the women’s football category, Barcelona emerged as the top-earning club in Deloitte’s rankings, excluding Scandinavia, with £11.6 million in revenue. Manchester United secured the second spot with £7 million, including revenues from a joint kit sponsorship deal with the men’s team. Other top-performing women’s clubs included Manchester City (£4.6 million), Chelsea (£3.5 million), and Tottenham (£2.3 million), highlighting a 61% increase in the average revenue of the top 15 women’s clubs in Deloitte’s analysis.
Bridge expressed optimism about the rapid growth in women’s football, emphasizing the need for a different business model and structure compared to men’s football. He suggested that broadcast revenue might not be the sole predictor of growth in the women’s game, underscoring the power of athletes to serve as female role models and appeal to major corporations, marking an exciting phase for the sport.
