Foxes hold position in world football’s rich list
Leicester City has stayed as 22nd richest club in the world, according to the latest figures from an influential annual report.
The Foxes are the richest club in the East Midlands, says Deloitte’s new Football Money League rankings, turning over £171m in the 2018/19 season. The Foxes increased turnover by over £20m, despite failing to qualifying for European competition after finishing ninth in the Premier League. The club currently sits in third position.
The 23rd Deloitte Football Money League reveals the top 20 highest revenue generating football clubs for the 2018/19 season, with combined revenues growing 11% to €9.3bn, a new record.
Real Madrid drop to second, generating revenue of €757.3m, with the gap between first and second place the highest in the publication’s history (€83.5m).
The Premier League continues to contribute the most clubs to the Money League top 20, with eight clubs making the cut in this year’s edition.
| Position (last year’s position) | Club | 2018/19 Revenue (€m) (2017/18 Revenue) | 2018/19 Revenue (£m) (2017/18 Revenue) |
| 1 (2) | FC Barcelona | 840.8 (690.4) | 741.1 (611.6) |
| 2 (1) | Real Madrid | 757.3 (750.9) | 667.5 (665.2) |
| 3 (3) | Manchester United | 711.5 (665.8) | 627.1 (589.8) |
| 4 (4) | Bayern Munich | 660.1 (629.2) | 581.8 (557.4) |
| 5 (6) | Paris Saint-Germain | 635.9 (541.7) | 560.5 (479.9) |
| 6 (5) | Manchester City | 610.6 (568.4) | 538.2 (503.5) |
| 7 (7) | Liverpool | 604.7 (513.7) | 533 (455.1) |
| 8 (10) | Tottenham Hotspur | 521.1 (428.3) | 459.3 (379.4) |
| 9 (8) | Chelsea | 513.1 (505.7) | 452.2 (448) |
| 10 (11) | Juventus | 459.7 (394.5) | 405.2 (349.5) |
| 11 (9) | Arsenal | 445.6 (439.2) | 392.7 (389.1) |
| 12 (12) | Borussia Dortmund | 377.1 (317.2) | 332.4 (281) |
| 13 (13) | Atlético de Madrid | 367.6 (304.4) | 324 (269.6) |
| 14 (14) | Inter Milan | 364.6 (280.8) | 321.3 (248.7) |
| 15 (16) | Schalke 04 | 324.8 (243.8) | 286.3 (216) |
| 16 (15) | AS Roma | 231 (250) | 203.6 (221.5) |
| 17 (n/a) | Olympique Lyonnais | 220.8 (164.2) | 194.6 (145.5) |
| 18 (20) | West Ham | 216.4 (197.9) | 190.7 (175.3) |
| 19 (17) | Everton | 213 (212.9) | 187.7 (188.6) |
| 20 (n/a) | Napoli | 207.4 (182.8) | 182.8 (161.9) |
Manchester United remains in third with revenue of £627.1m but currently forecasts revenue of £560-580m in 2019/20 as a result of not qualifying for this season’s Champions League, a result that would likely see the Red Devils fall to their lowest ever Money League position in next year’s edition. This, says Deloitte could also put the club at risk of losing its position as the Premier League’s highest revenue generating club for the first time in Money League history.
United’s closest domestic rivals, Manchester City and Liverpool, generated revenues of £538.2m and £533m respectively in 2018/19. Liverpool’s long-term ambitions of a top five Money League position in future editions are not unrealistic, particularly if the club can build on its recent on-pitch success in the Premier League and in winning the 2019 UEFA Champions League.
Tottenham Hotspur is eighth in this year’s Money League, the club’s highest ever position, and has overtaken Arsenal and Chelsea to become London’s highest revenue generating club in the Money League for the first time since 1996/97. Spurs’ revenue increased 21% to £459.3m, which was largely attributable to increased revenue from broadcasters and commercial sources, following a season in which the club progressed to the Champions League Final and moved into the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Arsenal slipped from ninth to 11th overall, highlighting the financial consequences of the club’s absence from the Champions League for the second consecutive season. As a result, the number of Premier League teams in the top 10 has reduced to five this year, from a record six in the previous year.
Sam Boor, senior manager in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, said: “The impact of participation and performance in UEFA club competitions on revenue is evident in London and the North West, with the rise of Liverpool, Manchester City and Spurs driven by reaching the Champions League knockout stages. The relative decline of Arsenal is a direct result of not participating in the competition for a second consecutive season, a fate that may also befall Manchester United.”
