Premier League ‘under strain' despite record £6.3bil revenues

Fan protests have grown at Premier League stadiums over high ticket prices and clubs favouring tourists seeking premium matchday experiences. (EPA Images pic)
LONDON : The combined revenue of Premier League clubs rose to a record £6.3 billion in the 2023/24 season, but fan unrest and worsening competitive balance are cause for concern, according to financial experts Deloitte.
The rise in income for England's 20 top-flight clubs was fuelled by commercial income surpassing £2 billion for the first time and a rise in matchday revenue beyond £900 million.
English clubs continue to enjoy a huge financial advantage over their European rivals.
Spain's La Liga, the second highest revenue-generating league, earned just over half that amount at €3.8 billion, almost 50% of which came from Real Madrid and Barcelona.
However, fan protests have become a common sight at Premier League stadiums over rising ticket prices and the squeezing out of local supporters to make way for more tourists willing to spend more for a special matchday experience.
'There can be no doubt that the system in English football is under strain,' said Tim Bridge, the lead partner in the Deloitte Sports Business Group.
'Repeated reports of fan unrest at ticket price and accessibility demonstrate the challenge in the modern era of balancing commercial growth with the historic essence of a football club's role and position in society: as a community asset.'
There is also uncertainty over the implications of an incoming independent regulator for England's top five leagues.
And for the past two seasons, all three promoted clubs from the Championship have been immediately relegated back to the second tier.
'The financial implications of the 'yo-yo effect' on clubs, their spending, and overall competitiveness are major factors to address in order to continue attracting high levels of investment across the system,' added Bridge in Deloitte's Annual Review of Football Finance.
Total revenue of European clubs rose by 8% in the 2023/24 campaign to €38 billion, boosted by increased commercial revenue and stadium developments.
The women's game also continues to grow commercially, particularly in England's Women's Super League (WSL).
Collective revenues in the WSL rose 34% to £65 million in 2023/24 and are projected to reach £100 million in the upcoming season.

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RM700m for Wirtz: crazy money or title clincher?

Free Malaysia Today

2 hours ago

Free Malaysia Today

RM700m for Wirtz: crazy money or title clincher?

That's the question Liverpool fans are asking as the Florian Wirtz saga rumbles on. Excitement at this uncharacteristically lavish outlay is palpable, with some Kopites calling it not a mere game-changer, but a title-clincher. When you add the German star, Dutch full-back Jeremy Frimpong, who has already joined, and Milos Kerkez, whose arrival is imminent, to the present squad, it's hard to disagree. But not everyone is on board. It is an awful lot for a player some fans hadn't heard of until Liverpool became interested in him. There is also a legitimate concern about who, Mo Salah apart, is going to score the goals. Wirtz, in case you're wondering, is a No.10, not a striker. The Bayer Leverkusen man will cost a new British record, way above the £110m Chelsea paid for Moises Caicedo to gazump Liverpool for the defensive midfielder two summers ago. The total package, with wages and bonuses, could set the Reds back north of £300m, which was too much for state-owned Manchester City, who pulled out of the race. But not Liverpool, whose dogged pursuit suggests the 22-year-old is their main target, and you sense a deal will eventually be done. Sporting director Michael Edwards flew to the US to convince principal owner John Henry that Wirtz is worth the money. And Henry was said to be 'blown away' by the work that Edwards and football director Richard Hughes had already done. The club also flew Wirtz and his father/agent over to convince them how serious they are. The visit included a trip to the 'footballers' belt' of luxury homes to reassure Florian that he would not have to live in a terraced house next to Anfield. They were impressed enough to prefer Liverpool to Bayern Munich, and Wirtz called coach Vincent Kompany personally to explain why. Doubts are inevitable when it comes to parting with such a huge sum. It doesn't seem FSG's style and nor does it seem very 'Moneyball'. But the same was said about the 2017 signings of Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker, which required world record fees for a defender and goalkeeper. Both turned out to be masterstrokes. Such a fee also comes with the risk that, if the player doesn't hit the ground like Usain Bolt in full flight, the price can become a millstone. Wirtz is not Messi or Lamine Yamal, but he's had a stellar career so far and is at just about the perfect age for a signing. Not too young for him to fade away as a boy wonder who didn't grow up, but young enough to offer a decade's worth of service. And when divided by ten, his price doesn't seem so outrageous. He is significantly younger than Van Dijk and Alisson were when they joined, and, if he becomes one of the mainstays of a successful side, he could be seen as even better value. Liverpool will have done their research, and his stats make for reassuring reading. As does the fact that the Reds have the money and no PSR worries, having spent only £10m on Federico Chiesa last summer. Wirtz's name first came to attention when he became the Bundesliga's youngest scorer at 17 years and 34 days, against Bayern Munich. Leverkusen knew they had a real prospect when he bagged eight goals and seven assists in 38 games before his 18th birthday. He followed that with 10 and 14 in a campaign shortened by an anterior cruciate ligament injury, but returned with no ill effects. Under Xavi Alonso, his 18 goals and 19 assists in 47 games were the backbone of the historic, title-winning season of 2023/24. Last time out, he was the only player in Europe's top five leagues to register at least 16 goals and assists, and the one all the big clubs wanted to sign. It's impressive stuff, but the intriguing question is where he will play. As a ball carrier and a creator, he looks an upgrade on Dominik Szoboszlai. But with Darwin Nunez likely to be offloaded and no sign of a replacement striker being signed, Wirtz could be the final piece of the jigsaw for Arne Slot – and play in the Bobby Firmino role. With Cody Gakpo on the left and Salah on the right, it would be a reprise of the immortal front three of Salah, Firmino and Sadio Mane. Szoboszlai would retain his place alongside Alexis Mac Allister in midfield, while Frimpong and Kerkez will be rampaging wing-backs. Slot obviously feels that Conor Bradley needs competition for Trent Alexander-Arnold's place and sees his compatriot Frimpong as the man. With lightning pace and a few goals in him, he's seen as augmenting Salah's threat down the right. Hungarian Kerkez, on the verge of a £45m signing from Bournemouth, is also quick, as well as feisty, and will be an exciting upgrade on a flagging Andy Robertson. With Chiesa, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Curtis Jones, Wataru Endo, Jarrell Quansah, Harvey Elliott and Joe Gomez as squad players, not to mention Giorgi Mamardashvili as a reserve keeper, it's a formidable line-up. In an ideal world, another young centre-back would be useful, especially as the memories of the central defender injury epidemic of 2020/21 still linger. But from this vantage point, the only possible weakness is the lack of a striker. Arsenal have paid dearly for not having one, hoping goals from elsewhere compensate. Indeed, there's even the thought that Matheus Cunha might have been the answer at less than half the price. But the Brazilian's maverick nature meant he was never on the Reds' radar. Still, with well over RM1 billion spent on this formidable squad, it's hard to see anyone stopping them next season. Unless the goals dry up. The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.

Sane joins Galatasaray from Bayern on free transfer

The Sun

3 hours ago

The Sun

Sane joins Galatasaray from Bayern on free transfer

GERMANY WINGER Leroy Sane has joined Galatasaray on a free transfer from Bayern Munich, the Turkish champions announced on Thursday. The 29-year-old has signed a three-year deal and will be paid an annual salary of nine million euros ($10.4 million), plus a 'loyalty bonus' of three million euros a season, the club said. 'I've played here before. There was an incredible atmosphere,' said Sane after arriving in Istanbul. 'Honestly, the fans were very loud. Now that they're behind me, I'm very happy, and I'm very excited to play my first match here.' Sane, who has played 70 times for the German national team, won four Bundesliga titles at Bayern after signing from Manchester City, with whom he lifted the Premier League twice. He scored 13 goals in all competitions last season, helping Bayern win back the Bundesliga trophy from Bayer Leverkusen.

Leroy Sane Joins Galatasaray on Free Transfer from Bayern