One European league they will win. Chelsea top money movement ranking
February 22 – Chelsea FC are the biggest money movers in world football, according to the latest data report from the CIES Football Observatory.
Finance
Ratcliffe wants a new Old Trafford to be England’s national stadium
February 22 – New Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe says he wants to build a new stadium to replace Old Trafford where the club have played since 1910 – and make it a national venue.
Ratcliffe says completion of deal is just the start of ‘accelerated change’ at Man Utd
February 21 – British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe expressed his desire to lift Manchester United “to the top of English, European and world football” after completing his purchase of a minority stake in the iconic club on Tuesday.
Tebas says Boost LaLiga initiative has increased commercial revenues 33%
February 20 – LaLiga president Javier Tebas has reported that LaLiga’s commercial revenues have grown by 33% since the launch of Boost LaLiga – an innovation scheme designed to increase the business capacity and revenues of Spanish clubs.
It’s not German. Chaos as fans protest over private equity proposals for national game
February 19 – Borussia Dortmund manager Edin Terzic has called for a “quick and sensible solution” to end weeks of supporter protests against proposed foreign investment in the Bundesliga after more matches endured frequent disruptions at the weekend.
City Football Group add Istanbul Basaksehir ‘collaboration’ to club portfolio
February 18 – City Football Group (CFG) have expanded their club portfolio yet again, announcing a “football collaboration agreement” with Turkish Super Lig side Istanbul Basaksehir.
US investor Shilen Patel buys West Brom from Guochuan Lai for £20m plus £40m debt
February 16 – Shilen Patel is set to become West Bromwich Albion chairman after a deal to purchase an 87.8% stake in the Championship club was agreed, to the delight of Albion fans.
Belgian clubs go deep into the red with losses topping €190m
February 15 – Belgian clubs in the top two divisions recorded a cumulative loss of €193 million for the 2022-23 season, the licensing commission confirmed on Wednesday.
European club football is booming, growing at more than €1bn a year, finds UEFA report
February 15 – Top tier clubs in Europe have recorded aggregate revenue of just under €24 billion for the 2022 financial year, with projections that revenue will grown beyond €26 million in 2024.
Brentford report record revenue of £166.5m, but staff costs grow by £20m
February 14 – Premier League Brentford, currently in their third season in the top flight, have announced a record turnover of £166.5 million for the 2022/23 financial year, the club’s second in the Premier League.
Winter transfer window recorded $1.46bn in sales across 5,073 player moves
February 14 – While the Premier League clubs kept their hands in their pockets in the January transfer window, the winter sales window still saw its second highest spend ever at $1.46 billion.
Bay FC smash women’s transfer record with $860k signing of Kundananji
February 14 – Zambia’s Racheal Kundananji has become the most expensive women’s footballer in history after joining Bay FC from Madrid CFF for $860,000 (£685,000) on a four-year deal.
Premier League approves Ratcliffe £1.02bn stake in Man Utd
February 14 – British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe’s purchase of a 25% stake in Manchester United has been approved by the Premier League.
Brazil’s Caixa bank refuse Corinthians £85m offer to pay off Neoquimica Arena debt
February 13 – Brazilian bank Caixa has refused a proposal by Corinthians to pay off the Neoquimica Arena, the club’s home ground since the 2014 World Cup.
Winter chill as Premier League clubs cut transfer spend to £100m in January window
February 2 – Spending by Premier League clubs in January dipped significantly after three successive record-breaking windows – with teams splashing out £715 million less than in same 2023 period.