By David Owen
May 29 – Three words: Aaron Wan-Bissaka. The young defender’s big-money transfer to Manchester United on the penultimate day of Crystal Palace’s 2018-19 financial year was responsible almost entirely for carrying the Eagles back into the black after recording the biggest pre-tax loss of any of the 20 clubs comprising English football’s top tier in 2017-18.
By Paul Nicholson
May 28 – Real Madrid are still the most valuable club in the world, ahead of Manchester United, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, according to latest figures in the KPMG Football Benchmark 2020 club evaluation report that looks at the 50 elite clubs in European leagues.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 27 – The proposed £300 million takeover of Newcastle United by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) fronted by controversial Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, has been thrown into doubt after reports that the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has found the Saudis breached international law by backing the pirating of Premier League matches.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 22 – Despite fierce opposition from rival clubs, human rights organisations as well as the fiancée of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the English Premier League is reported to have approved the proposed £300 million takeover of Newcastle United by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, PIF, fronted by controversial Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (pictured).
May 22 – English Premier League club Sheffield United say there has been no change to their Saudi ownership despite reports that Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (pictured) had given up control.
By Paul Nicholson
May 21 – Manchester United’s third quarter financial release has revealed that the loss of broadcast revenue due to a broadcaster rebate following failure to complete fixtures is about £15 million, putting the overall Premier League rebate at about £300 million.
By Samindra Kunti
May 20 – German football bosses want to see deep reaching financial reforms in the game following the coronavirus pandemic, with Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and DFB president Fritz Keller becoming the latest voices to back the introduction of a salary cap.
By Paul Nicholson
May 18 – The global sports sponsorship spend looks set to fall by $17.2 billion, from $46.1 billion in 2019 to $28.9 billion (37% year-on-year decrease) in 2020 as the result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
By Paul Nicholson
May 15 – French Ligue 1 side Olympique Lyonnais has reported that it expects a €50 million impact on its revenue in the final April 1 to June 30 quarter as a result of no play due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Here in England, we still do not know how, or if, the 2019-20 Premier League season will be allowed to finish. But it already feels safe enough to predict with some confidence that the 2020-21 financial year will be a bloodbath for English top-tier clubs.
May 12 – City Football Group (CFG), owner of Manchester City and seven other clubs around the world, have agreed a deal to buy Belgium’s Lommel SK, who currently compete in Belgium’s second tier.
May 11 – The €1 billion redevelopment proposal for the Milan’s San Siro stadium and the surrounding area took another step forward at the end of last week with a preparatory document for the feasibility project being submitted to Municipality of Milan at the end of last week.
May 7 – Italy’s Serie A, reeling from the coronavirus shutdown, has opened discussion with private equity firms CVC Capital Partners and Blackstone Group Inc about the opportunity of injecting new money into the clubs and the league.
By Paul Nicholson
May 6 – The impact of the coronavirus on football’s transfer market is going to be seismic in terms of player value with one analysis calculating a decrease in total player value across 10 of Europe’s leading leagues of between €6.6 billion and €10 billion, depending on whether the season restarts or is cancelled.
By Paul Nicholson
May 5 – English Football League chairman Rick Parry painted the picture of a £200 million financial hole for the league and its 72 clubs by September, on top of an already existing wage issue that sees Championship club owners putting in on average £16 million of their own money to reach the Premier League.