March 2 – Dutch champions Ajax have reported a €110.4 million revenue figure for the six months to 31 December 2019, following on from 2018/19 revenues that had more than doubled to €199.5 million in 2018/19.
The 2018/19 revenues were driven up by an increase in payments from UEFA by €76.8 million to €77.9 million. Ajax had a remarkable run that took them to the semi-finals of the Champions League. TV rights payments were again significant in pushing the last six month revenue figure above €100 million, but with Ajax now out of the Europa League, having been eliminated by Spain’s Getafe, second half revenue is not likely to be so impressive.
What is significant is that the club reported a net profit of €53 million for the first six months of the 2019/20 financial year, an increase of €32.7 million on the same period for 2018/19. After-tax profit for the 2018/19 year was put at €51.9 million.
Sales have increased across the board with the club reporting an increase in merchandise sales and season tickets, and a bump up in total equity by €51.7 million to €261.7 million.
Two young stars from the 2018-19 squad – Matthijs de Ligt and Frankie de Jong – have departed to ‘super-elite’ clubs on big money transfers. But a clutch of competitively-priced new arrivals gave Ajax a dream start to their 2019-20 Champions League campaign, posting twin 3-0 victories over Lille and Valencia to lead Group H. That dream ended with failure to qualify for the last 16, and was broken when the club was bounced out of the Europa League.
UEFA revenues are still crucial if Ajax are to break into the elite club bracket of Europe’s big five leagues. Even so, if a club from a so-called smaller league can achieve it, then Ajax do look best placed.
See Can Ajax and Leicester gate crash the super-elite?
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