Infantino questions transfer cash, lack of regulation and the $500m spent on agent fees
February 16 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino has had another dig at football’s two easiest targets: spiralling transfers and agents’ fees.
Finance
Money talks – Bundesliga to debate 50+1 ownership rule
February 16 – For years, the 50 plus 1 ownership rule in the Bundesliga, which effectively prevents reckless profit-driven owners from taking over clubs, has been held up as a bastion of commercial fair play.
Bundesliga reports solid financial year, as competition with Euro league rivals hots up
By David Owen
February 15 – German professional football remains an oasis of financial solidity. The Deutsche Fussball Liga (DFL)’s 2018 Report on the economic state of the sector reveals that the clubs in the top two tiers of Western Europe’s most populous nation – Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 – for the first time generated aggregate revenues of more than €4 billion in 2016-17.
At €878m, Man City are the most expensive ever team in football history
February 13 – No other club in history has spent as much as Manchester City to assemble a playing squad. At €878 million Man City have spent €73 million more than Paris St Germain and €131 million more than neighbours Man Utd, though they are having a Red Devil of a time under big spender Jose Mourinho to close that gap.
Man Utd on course for £585m financial finish, but wage bill set to hit profits
By Paul Nicholson
February 8 – Manchester United have announced revenue of £163.9 million and operating profit of £28.7 million for its 2018 second quarter financial results ending December 31.
Crowd-sourcing platform Tifosy completes €1.5m bond financing for Serie B’s Frosinone
February 7 – The mini-bond launched by sports investment platform Tifosy for Italy’s Serie B club Frosinone, has reached its €1.5 million target.
Liverpool overpaid for van Dijk but so did Barca for Coutinho. Costa was overpriced too
February 6 – The three biggest transfers in the winter window - Philippe Coutinho (€160m), Virgil van Dijk (€84m) and Diego Costa (€66m) – were all concluded at a higher value than the real worth of the players, according to analysis by the CIES Football Observatory. Liverpool overpaid by €21 million for van Dijk, but balanced that with Barca’s overpayment of €13 million for Coutinho. Chelsea managed to get an impressive €26 million more than CIES’s estimated real value for Costa.
Infantino takes aim at agents’ fees and money ‘flowing out’ of football
February 2 – With transfer fees having crashed through the roof once again in January, one of the unknown factors is just how much went to agents.
Winter transfer window is the hottest on record with PL clubs spending record £430m
By Andrew Warshaw
February 1 – January is supposedly never the ideal time to buy players in terms of planning yet Premier League clubs spent a record £430 million in the winter transfer window that closed Wednesday night, according to Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, exceeding the previous record set in 2011 by a staggering 91%.
Turkish amateur club use Bitcoin to buy new player
January 31 – A Turkish amateur team claim they are the first club to have paid for a player with cryptocurrency.
Global transfer spend hits $6.37bn in 2017, says TMS report
By Andrew Warshaw
January 31 – As the winter transfer window in Europe draws to a close, the eye-watering scale of global spending on players has been laid bare by FIFA’s latest Transfer Market Report.
Zenit Arena, Sochi and Spartak stadia all cost more than double Atlético’s magic Wanda
January 31- A review of the 30 ‘most prominent’ football stadia built in Europe over the past five years shows Turkey topping the list of countries developing their football infrastructure with nine venue. Russia, hosts of this year’s World Cup, is second with five stadia.
London Football Exchange launches $350m cryptocurrency fundraising
By Paul Nicholson
January 30 – The London Football Exchange (LFE) has unveiled plans to launch its own cryptocurrency that will offer LFE token holders special discounts, exclusive offers, rewards and other club and league incentives.
Beckham’s Miami MLS franchise launched with south Florida fanfare and 2020 target
By Andrew Warshaw
January 30 – It’s taken over four years but it’s finally happening. Not rumours, not heightened speculation but from the man himself. David Beckham’s long-awaited team in Miami is up and running.
UEFA considers cap on agents fees to stop financial ‘hostage’ taking
January 24 – UEFA is considering imposing a cap on agents’ fees following a meeting of its Professional Football Strategy Group.