June 28 – The Portuguese league – Liga Portugal – has approved a budget for the next season which forecasts record revenue of €31.8 million.
Recognising this increase has come with a warning from the league as it will be the first full year in which the costs of the operating and maintenance of the Arena Liga Portugal – the new headquarters for the league located in the heart of Porto.
The state-of-the-art building is divided into five distinct areas – Lab, Museum, Kids, Store and Food & Beverage – making it considerably more than a suite of corporate offices.
Even with the costs of the building coming online, the league still said it will make a record distribution of income to clubs and stakeholders that it expects to exceed €10 million. The league is forecasting a €580,000 surplus.
The first annual meeting under the presidency of Reinaldo Teixeira, the Executive Board also budgeted for its key departments and initiatives: Liga Infraestruturas, Liga Comercial, Liga Centralização, Fundação do Futebol and Liga Portugal Business School.
The board outlined its priorities for the upcoming season as supporting its stakeholders, careful cost control, managing issues related to alcohol consumption in stadiums, promoting an increase in attendances, the fight against broadcast piracy and a commitment to a content strategy, with the broader aim being a move towards the centralising audiovisual rights.
“The Executive Board of Liga Portugal reaffirms its commitment to ensuring careful and efficient management, adopting all necessary measures to achieve financial balance, including the renegotiation of its financing contracts or the use of new financial management tools, with the aim of ensuring full compliance with the obligations assumed and the sustainability of the activity throughout the season,” said a Liga Portugal statement.
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