The Business of Sports Management

The ten clubs that have generated the most income in 2023 from shirt and merchandise sales, including several Premier League clubs.

Rumbling beneath the January transfer market are unresolved tensions between FIFA and soccer agents—how they function and their perception is central moving forward.

CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post number 429 presents the net transfer spending of the 100 most active clubs in terms of the financial volume (...)

August 11 – Boris Gartner, CEO of La Liga North America, speaking as the Spanish league completed its pre-season showcase in the US, said: “Having official matches here, it’s not a matter of if, but when.”

The soccer pitch is filled with more green than ever.

The Madrid High Court ruling comes after a report that A22, the company exploring the possibility of creating a new tournament, has spoken to 50 different clubs

While the top spot no longer belongs to Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, the two legendary soccer stars are still expected to earn at least $100 million this season, contributing to a record $652 million haul for the ten highest-paid players.

August 31 – An eye-watering $48.5 billion (€41.1 billion) was splashed out on international transfer fees over the past decade, almost half of which was spent by the top 30 clubs with English clubs leading the way, according to a new FIFA report.

April 8 – The Premier League prides itself that any team could beat any other on any given day. It is a boast made by a number of other top European leagues. According to a new set of stats, the competitive balance in the big European leagues isn’t as balanced as they pretend.
A review by the CIES Football Observatory compares 72 top division leagues worldwide looking at the percentage of matches in which a team won by at least three goals. Read more …

January 25 – Real Madrid have reclaimed top spot in the annual Deloitte Football Money League, beating last year’s league leader Manchester City by a slim €5 million.
PSG broke into the top three positions followed by Barcelona on €300 million – €31 million behind their Spanish rivals.
Manchester City’s cross-town rivals Manchester United have dropped to fifth place (€746 million) and are now truly confirmed as Manchester’s second team, not only on team performance but also by being ahead by a substantial €80 million.

Football is a sport with a lot of financial benefits, but on the other hand, it is expensive to run, especially at the club level.

This chart compares the transfer spending of the Saudi Pro League in summer 2023 to the five largest European football leagues.

February 21 – The cost of buying players increased at an annual rate of 13.8% between the 2013/14 and 2019/20 seasons. The inflation bubble was burst with a -0.2% drop in the three seasons following the pandemic but player prices resumed their spectacular growth in 2022/23, suggesting a rapid return to record levels, said the CIES Football Observatory.

By Andrew Warshaw
December 15 – Those still backing the seemingly doomed European Super League have been dealt a hammer blow after the European Court of Justice’s (ECJ) key adviser today ruled against them – a landmark decision for the future of European football.
UEFA were taken to the ECJ in July after the remaining rebel Super League clubs accused it of abusing its power to block rival events and penalise players and clubs.

The piles of cash thrown off by European soccer competitions is a big reason why Real Madrid, worth $5.1 billion, 7% more than last year, has reclaimed its spot as the world’s most valuable soccer team.

The world’s top two soccer players may have switched teams, but they remain their sport’s highest-paid stars.

April 13 – FC Barcelona are the world’s most valuable club with a valuation of $4.76 billion according to business magazine Forbes. Premier League Manchester United have dropped out of the top three in the ranking. 
At the top of the wealth valuation, the Catalan club replace arch rivals Real Madrid, who are worth $4.75 billion. Over the last 15 years either Real Madrid or Manchester United have held the top two positions in Forbes’ top ten list of the world’s most valuable football teams.

A confidential 2018 Uefa-commissioned report into the transfer market concluded money-laundering was widespread and found third-party ownership continuing