The European Club Footballing Landscape

Club Licensing Benchmarking Report

Financial Year 2015
2
 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

Foreword
Welcome to the eighth edition of the UEFA Club Licensing Benchmarking Report, which once again focuses on financial and off-the-pitch
developments in European club football.

In this latest edition of our report, the success story of football as a cultural and commercial force stands out once more. It shows that UEFA’s
regulatory role in financial fair play has not only steadied the ship of European football finances but also provided the framework for unprecedented
growth, investment and profitability.

This detailed report shows huge reductions in losses since the introduction of financial fair play, record stadium and capital investment by clubs, and
club revenue increases year on year. It also proves beyond doubt that financial fair play has turned around football finances – aggregate operating
profits rose to €1.5bn in the last two years, compared with losses of €700m in the two years immediately prior to the introduction of the break-even
requirement.

Just as gratifying is the finding that football remains hugely popular as a spectator sport. There was an increase of 2.6 million in European stadium
attendance last season, when more than 170 million fans went to league matches across the continent.

Of course, as the guardian of the game in Europe, UEFA must remain vigilant and take note of the less positive trends also highlighted in the report,
such as a return to high wage growth and the increasing concentration of sponsorship and commercial revenue among a handful of clubs.

Reflecting the objective of financial fair play to bring ever greater transparency to European football, this report provides fascinating, forensic details
on clubs from all 55 UEFA member associations on such diverse topics as foreign ownership, league formats and head coach stability. It also ranks
clubs on a number of financial measures.

We would like to thank all the member associations, leagues and clubs that contributed their financial information and the whole club licensing
network for their invaluable assistance.

We hope you enjoy the report.

Aleksander Čeferin
UEFA President

3
 Introduction
The UEFA Club Licensing Benchmarking Report continues to provide a complete review of European club While European football can be proud of what it has achieved in such a short space of time, as in many other
football, like no other publication of its kind. sectors today’s globalisation has increased opportunities and brought with it new challenges. Revenues are
increasing but are very much concentrated at the top end (in particular broadcasting, commercial and sponsorship
There can be no question that the decision taken many years ago to introduce club licensing and subsequently
revenues), with only a limited number of clubs able to exploit the enormous opportunities offered by the global
financial fair play has produced very positive results. Today, the figures point to a more stable and sustainable
market.
financial position for Europe’s top-division clubs, underlining the success of encouraging more financial
rationale and more balanced business plans. The level of overdue debt among clubs in UEFA competitions has The footballing landscape is changing rapidly, with new investments being made at a speed that has never been
fallen every year for the last five years, from €57m to just over €5m; the record underlying operating losses of seen before. With that in mind, this report casts new light on club ownership and sponsorship. It presents charts
2011 have been transformed into the largest combined operating profits that European club football has ever and timelines that illustrate the increasing interest of new investors prompted by the enormous success of
produced; bottom-line net losses have been cut in three; and investments in football infrastructure have risen European club football, with 44 clubs in a range of Europe’s top leagues now under foreign control. It also presents
in recent years, with 167 major stadium projects undertaken across Europe since 2007. analyses of more than 4,000 sponsorship and commercial deals to paint a picture of the major businesses active in
European club football today.
One of the stated objectives of financial fair play, agreed by all stakeholders at the outset, was to increase
transparency in European club football. Over the years, we have constantly worked together with clubs to All this translates into a rapidly growing gap between the top clubs and the others, and this will be one of the
foster such transparency and unite behind the principles of good governance and fair play. This report is the biggest challenges for football in the future. With many concerned about competitive balance within and between
perfect example of that approach, presenting as it does an authoritative analysis of financial trends across leagues, UEFA must continuously review and adapt its regulations to this fast-changing environment, bearing in
top-division clubs throughout Europe. Unlike other reports on European club football, which are based on mind that overspending and unsustainable business models cannot be the answer to financial inequalities. Hence
aggregate figures provided by leagues, the foundations of this report are detailed disclosures from the clubs’ the importance of continuing to consult and work with all stakeholders to protect the values of European football
own financial statements and the notes thereto. This report focuses on the financial year ending in 2015 and and foster development across all of UEFA’s member associations and at all levels of the game, from the top
covers 679 different top-division clubs. While a small selection of Europe’s largest listed clubs have already professional tier down to the grassroots that form the basis of the European sports model.
announced their 2016 results, the analysis presented in this report paints the first and only full picture for
This report would not have been possible without the strong input and support of the national licensing managers
2015.
and clubs, to whom we extend our thanks.
For the first time it presents a comprehensive survey of domestic squads, setting out the restrictions and
requirements each country places on squads in terms of size, number of locally trained players, player
nationalities and loans, revealing both the common approaches taken across Europe and the specific Andrea Traverso
differences. Head of Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play
However, this report is not just about club finances and good governance. It also covers strategic
developments and football culture. It explores the format of domestic leagues and cups, provides the latest
developments on stadiums and presents numerous maps and charts illustrating demographic comparisons of
the head coaches, players and supporters in Europe and other leagues around the world. The percentage of
clubs that change coach during the season, the average age of players and drops in attendance in the face of
poor sporting results, for example, give us a wealth of information about the culture, environments and
strategies of clubs in different leagues around the world.

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 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

Introduction to global benchmarking

The final chapter of last year’s report introduced global benchmarking of major sports leagues, in terms of TV contracts, revenue streams, social media
followings and match attendance. In response to the positive feedback received, this year’s report makes numerous comparisons between football leagues
around the world, setting our more detailed analysis of European football into a broader context. The areas covered are outlined below.

Top 100 leagues by

player value (page 33)

Player profiles &

use of domestic and Stadium projects
foreign players (pages 29-31) (pages 49-51)

Match attendance
Head coach stability (page 40)
& profiles (pages 22, 24-25)

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CONTENTS OVERVIEW
 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

Contents
Foreword 3 4 Supporters 34
Introduction 4 Supporter highlights 35
Top 10 attendances 36
1 Domestic leagues and cups 10 European attendance levels
Attendance trend highs and lows
37
38
Domestic league and cup highlights 11 Attendances and on-pitch performance 39
League formats and changes in format across Europe 12 Top 50 most attended global sports events 40
Unusual league formats 13 Most successful official club websites 42
Domestic cup formats 14
UEFA and domestic league squad limits and restrictions
Domestic league loan limits and restrictions
15
16
5 Stadiums and stadium development 44
Stadium development highlights 45
Additional home-grown or locally trained player rules 17 A decade of new stadiums 46
Additional domestic player nationality rules 18 Stadium projects by type 47

2 Head coaches 19
Stadium projects across Europe
Stadium projects around the world
48
49
Head coach highlights 20 Stadium projects over the years 50
Head coach job security across Europe 21
Head coach job security around the world
Average head coach age across Europe
22
23
6 Club ownership 52
Club ownership highlights 53
Average head coach age around the world 24 European club ownership 54
Expatriate head coaches by region 25 Origin and destination of foreign ownership and investment 55
Foreign ownership timeline 56
3 Players 26
Player highlights 27 7 Club sponsorship 57
Average player age across Europe 28 Club sponsorship highlights 58
Average player age around the world 29 Club kit manufacturer profile 59
Expatriate players by region 30 Club shirt sponsorship profile 60
Player recruitment around the world 31 Club shirt sponsorship by sector 61
European player market value 32 Club stadium naming rights profile 62
Global player market value 33 Club stadium naming rights by sector 63

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OVERVIEW
 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

10 Transfer and other costs 96

8 Club revenues 64 Transfer and other cost highlights 97
Club revenue highlights 65 Explanation of transfer activity and club transfer profits/losses 98
Long-term European club revenue growth 66 Reported net transfer costs and income 99
Medium-term European club revenue growth 67 Top 20 clubs by net transfer costs and net transfer spending 100
Short-term FY2015 European club revenue growth 68 European club operating costs 101
Average and aggregate revenues by country 69 Operating cost levels and trends across leagues 102
Revenue and revenue growth: the top 30 clubs 70 Top 20 clubs’ operating cost levels and trends 103
European club revenues by type 72 Costs of non-operating items 104
Overview of major broadcast deals
Broadcast revenue levels and trends
73
74
11 Underlying and bottom-line profitability 105
Top 20 clubs by broadcast revenues 75 Profitability highlights 106
Revenue from UEFA 76 Medium-term trend in club operating profits 107
Top 20 clubs by revenue from UEFA 77 Medium-term trend in European club bottom-line losses 108
Gate receipt levels and trends 78 Medium-term trend in number of loss making clubs 109
Top 20 clubs by gate receipts 79 Medium-term trend in league profitability 110
Sponsorship and commercial revenue levels and trends 80 Relative profitability across the top 20 leagues 111
Relative sponsorship and commercial revenue growth 81 Underlying operating profitability across the top 20 leagues 112
Transfer proceeds levels and trends 82 Bottom-line profits across the top 20 leagues 113
Top 20 clubs by transfer proceeds 83 Top 20 club operating profits and losses 114
Revenue mix in the top 20 leagues 84 Top 20 bottom-line profits and losses 115
Revenue mix outside the top 20 leagues 85 Relative profitability outside the top 20 leagues 116
Bottom-line profits outside the top 20 leagues 117
9 Wage and squad costs 86 12 Balance sheets 118
Wage and squad cost highlights 87 Balance sheet highlights 119
Club costs and long-term wage growth 88 Profile of European club assets 120
Medium-term absolute and relative wage growth 89 Profile of European club stadium ownership 121
Wage growth across the top 20 leagues 90 Top 20 clubs by stadium investment 122
Wage levels and trends outside the top 20 leagues 91 Player assets by league 123
Top 20 club wage levels and trends 92 Top 20 clubs by player assets 124
Club wages within and between the top 20 leagues 93 Club net debt across the top 20 leagues 125
Transfer cost of squads within and between the top 20 leagues 94 Top 20 clubs by net debt 126
Relative squad cost and affordability 95 Assets to liabilities ratio and trends 127
Medium-term growth in net club assets 128
Appendix 129

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OVERVIEW
8
CONTENTS OVERVIEW
 INTERACTIVE Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

Domestic
Head coaches Players Supporters
leagues and cups

Club
Stadiums Club ownership Club revenues
sponsorship

Transfer and
Wages Profitability Balance sheets
other costs

9
CONTENTS
 1
CHAPTER

Domestic leagues and cups

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CONTENTS OVERVIEW
 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

Domestic league and cup highlights

Squad limits are now in common use across Europe (28 countries)
but there is no common approach (15 variations identified)

Specific locally trained player rules (23 countries) and nationality-

based rules (38 countries) are widespread, with many variations

Loan restrictions are increasingly popular (adopted by 15 leagues), as a

means of preventing player hoarding and/or protecting the integrity of
competitions

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CONTENTS OVERVIEW
CHAPTER 1: Domestic leagues and cups

League formats and changes in format across Europe

League structures may seem like a mundane topic on which to begin but the football pyramid in each country is the Basic format of domestic top-tier leagues
beating heart of the European game and, outside the most well-established competitions, the league structures at (summer 2016 and winter 2016/17 seasons)
the top of these pyramids are surprisingly fluid. Differences in size and timings mean that Europe’s top-tier leagues
A total of 37 leagues (68%) including the most well known leagues
are organised this season in 24 different ways, with many variations on the basic formats used. with global audiences can be described as traditional, with each team
playing each of the other teams twice (17), three times (10), four
times (9) or six times (Armenia).
Split TWO
Changes in the number of clubs participating in & TWO (8)
domestic championships (2014/15 to 2016/17)
The other 17 leagues adopt a different approach, splitting their teams
TWO rounds (17) FOUR rounds (9)
18 into groups based on their rankings at a specific point in the season.
GRE

The country trigrams of these leagues can be found overlapping two

ROU

16 BLR GRE POR or more circles, indicating how many rounds are played before and
GEO

ALB LVA after the leagues split.

14
HUN

CZE ISL RUS

BIH

BEL DEN
BLR
AUT MKD
ENG ITA SWE

DEN
BUL

CYP
BIH KAZ AZE SUI
12 ESP LUX TUR BUL ROU CRO SVN
FRA NED UKR
10 GER NOR
CYP WAL EST The trend has certainly been towards dividing clubs mid season with
LVA
LTU
AZE

just five leagues back in 2007 compared with 17 leagues now. The
8 ISR leagues in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denmark, Georgia, Lithuania,
ARM

SMR
6 GEO Romania and Serbia all switched to a ‘split format’ in 2014/15 or
POL NIR 2015/16, with only Belarus (2016) and FYR Macedonia (2016/17)
SRB SCO moving in the other direction, back to a more traditional format.
COMPLEX (3)
Between 2002 and 2007, when the first benchmarking analysis
was done, the European trend was to increase the number of FIN KOS Split THREE
Split TWO &
clubs in domestic leagues, with 16 leagues increasing in size, FRO MDA & ONE (2)
ONE (2) No more than two leagues split their seasons in exactly the same way,
boosting the number of top-division cubs from 707 to 733. Fast- GIB MLT Split THREE leading to a multitude of formats across Europe. Some of the many
forward eight seasons and a very different picture emerges, with HUN MNE & TWO (2) nuances are highlighted on the next page.
a reduction in the number of top-tier clubs from 733 back to 706.* No league, IRL SVK These format changes arise for a variety of reasons, including the
AND
only cup
THREE rounds (10) desire to keep matches meaningful and to maximise interest, as well
LTU
as for basic scheduling reasons.
LIE ARM

SIX rounds (1)

* Kosovo, UEFA’s newest member, is included in this section of the report and will be included in other
sections from next year, when their clubs will have undergone a full club licensing cycle. The analysis of top-
tier club numbers (down from 733 to 706) excludes the 12 Kosovan clubs for consistency reasons.

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 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

Unusual league formats

Timing of domestic championships

L INTO
Nuances in league formats
BEL
Most of the ‘split’ leagues divide their clubs into ‘championship’ and
BUL

THREE
‘relegation’ groups but Belgium, Bulgaria and Denmark split their clubs CYP
into three groups of six, four and four respectively, while Cyprus splits DEN
its league into two groups of six, with two clubs already relegated.

UNEQUAL ISR
LTU
Most of the other leagues divide their clubs into two equal groups
for the final round(s). However Israel and Romania divides into a

SPLIT
top six and bottom eight clubs while Lithuania splits into the top
ROU
six and bottom two clubs.

SPLIT AT
San Marino continues to split its clubs at the start of each season into a
group of seven and a group of eight before holding play-offs. Georgia
SMR
adopted a similar structure for its one-off transitional 2016 summer GEO
season, splitting its clubs into two groups of seven, followed by play-
offs. START Summer championship

Winter championship
12x

42x
BEL

POI NTS
KAZ
Six leagues halve the points won after the first
MLT two rounds of matches, reducing the points gap
POL between clubs for the final one or two rounds.
The timing of most championships is dictated by the feasibility of playing matches in winter,
ROU with the Republic of Ireland a notable exception. Changes are therefore rare but Georgia is
SRB running a three-month season in 2016 as part of its transition from a winter to summer format,
GRE NED NIR WAL making it the 12th country to introduce a summer domestic league. Prior to that, the most

PLAY-OFFS
recent changes were seen in Russia and Armenia, both of which ran 15-month seasons (March–
Northern Ireland are the latest league to May) to transition from summer to winter championships in 2011/12 and 2012/13 respectively.
introduce end-of-season play-offs for their final
UEFA Europa League place, following in the
footsteps of Greece, the Netherlands and Wales.

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CONTENTS OVERVIEW
CHAPTER 1: Domestic leagues and cups

Domestic cup formats Number of clubs in contention when those

competing in UEFA club competitions enter the
domestic cup competition
Entry points to national cup competitions
NOR
The most common stage at which the top-tier clubs enter their national cup
competition is the round of 32, with the round of 64 the next most common stage. SVK
The longest runs to glory are in Norway, where the top teams enter in the round
of 128; Slovakia, where the top teams complete a field of 124; and Hungary, HUN
where the final entry stage is the round of 116.
The shortest run to glory is enjoyed in Armenia and Liechtenstein, and by EST ALB LUX
Andorran clubs competing in UEFA competitions, all of which compete in fields of BEL MDA
eight. BIH MKD
BUL MLT
Special status given to clubs competing in UEFA club competitions AUT NED CRO NIR
ENG POR CZE POL
The majority of top-division clubs in Turkey enter the national cup competition in
a field of 108, but those competing in UEFA competitions are given byes until the FRA SUI DEN ROU
round of 32 group stage. GER SWE ESP RUS
Clubs competing in UEFA competitions are also given byes in Andorra, Belarus, FIN SCO
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Georgia, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg GRE SRB
and Slovenia. MNE IRL TUR
All Spanish La Liga clubs enter in the round of 32 but those competing in UEFA
competitions are seeded. Likewise, eight Serbian clubs are seeded based on the ISL UKR
rankings from the previous domestic season. ISR WAL
BLR
Other points of interest CYP AZE
KAZ
FRO
As highlighted in last year’s report, only three European domestic cup LTU
GEO
competitions still feature rematches: in England, Republic of Ireland and Scotland. LVA
Other domestic cup competitions, such as those in Greece, Kazakhstan, San GIB
SVN
Marino, Sweden and Turkey, include a group stage. ITA
SMR
National ‘league’ cups KOS

A second national cup competition is organised in 11 countries: England, France, AND

Iceland, Israel, Latvia, Northern Ireland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania, ARM
Scotland and Wales. The Finnish league cup was discontinued in 2016. LIE

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 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

UEFA and domestic league squad limits and restrictions

Squad limits represent the single most important mechanism for limiting player hoarding and protecting the competitive balance within and between leagues. They can also play an
important role in reducing cases of players not being paid and limiting clubs’ financial self-harm. When combined with rules that encourage player development, they are arguably the
most efficient way of addressing issues of competitive balance, perhaps the most pressing challenge faced in European football. That is why their introduction by leagues was seen as an
important element of the original financial fair play objectives. As this first, and to our knowledge only, cross-European study of domestic squad rules and restrictions demonstrates, we
have a long road to travel before squad limits are introduced everywhere and harmonised across the continent. The information presented on the following pages was collected during
UEFA’s club licensing audit of all national licensing departments. Much more detailed research is required to obtain a full understanding of the rules and restrictions applied to the loan
system and the myriad domestic squad rules, given the very detailed nature of such rules and regulations, but the purposes of broadly benchmarking current practices and identifying the
wide and varied application of squad limits around Europe, this analysis is a valuable first step.
Basic Details if
League
number specified Basic domestic squad rules
Basic UEFA squad rules ALB 25
AND 25 At least 28 of the 53 top-tier leagues in Europe have some form of squad limit in place. The
Clubs must submit details of their squads at specific points in the season, BEL 25 Unlimited U21 most common (used in 16 top leagues) is a maximum of 25 players, in many cases with an
namely at each stage of qualifying, before the group stage and before the BLR 60 Includes B list unlimited number of additional youth players (‘B list’). This broadly matches the squad rules
knockout stages, by means of an ‘A list’ of players. This list may contain no BUL 40 Minimum 16 applied in UEFA’s club competitions, although the exact definition of ‘B list’ and ‘youth
more than 25 players and that limit is reduced if fewer than four club-trained CYP 22 player’ differs from league to league.
and four association-trained players are included. Clubs can register additional DEN 25 Unlimited B list Of the other leagues that impose squad limits, seven allow for bigger squads, ranging from 28
youth players at short notice throughout the season, by means of the ‘B list’.* ENG 25 Unlimited B list players in Turkey to 60 in Belarus, although in some of these cases no distinction is made
ESP 25 between senior and youth players.
EST 30 Minimum 11
Cyprus, Northern Ireland and Russia impose lower limits of between 20 and 23 senior players.
GEO 30 Fee for 30+
The more detailed restrictions and requirements in place around Europe are analysed on the
GIB 25
next page.
ISR 45
ITA 25 Unlimited B list
KAZ 30 Plus 25 U21
LTU 40
LVA 25 Unlimited B list
MDA 30
NIR 20 Unlimited U21
NOR 25 Plus 5 youth
POL 25
POR 25
* Under Paragraphs 43.10 and 43.11 of the Regulations of the UEFA Champions League 2015-18 cycle and
ROU 25
Paragraphs 42.10 and 42.11 of the equivalent Regulations of the UEFA Europa League, each club is entitled to
register an unlimited number of players on List B during the season. The list must be submitted by no later than RUS 23
24.00CET on the day before the match in question. A player may be registered on List B if he is born on or after SRB 25
1 January 1995 and has been eligible to play for the club concerned for any uninterrupted period of two years since SUI 25
his 15th birthday by the time he is registered with UEFA. Players aged 16 may be registered on List B if they have TUR 28
been registered with the participating club for the previous two years without interruption.
UKR 25

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CONTENTS OVERVIEW
CHAPTER 1: Domestic leagues and cups

Domestic league loan limits and restrictions

At least 16 countries in Europe have some type of limit on the number of loans allowed, either on incoming
loans, outgoing loans or both. The chart to the left indicates that these limits come in many shapes and sizes,
with no common system applied. Limits on the total number of loans and on loans between two clubs are the
most common; each is applied in seven countries, albeit with different actual limits within each league.

Simplified picture of loan limits and

restrictions in top-tier leagues

Limit by total number Limit within league

or country
GIB 3
ENG 4 in
ALB 5
CRO 6
16 top- SCO 5
WAL 4 out NOR 8 out division FRA 7 in / 5 out
leagues
MKD 4 / 2 AUT 8 / 3

Limit by number & Limit within league &

between clubs CYP 2 BUL 3 between clubs
GEO 2 AND 5
BEL 3 MNE
The chart is a high level picture indicating the frequency of loan rules. Some of these countries and a
Limit between clubs number of others have other restrictions on loan activities, such as when loans can be made, the number
of clubs a player can play for in any given season and the use of loaned players in matches against their
original clubs. In a number of countries different rules apply to different leagues in the pyramid.

Player loans are an important part of the football ecosystem and a more detailed study would provide
valuable insights into the situation and issues involved.

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 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

Additional home-grown or locally trained player rules

UEFA Other soft Hard
Summary of home-grown and locally trained League Details if specified
style requirement requirement
player requirements in top-tier leagues
ALB 4+4
AUT 12 in squad* AUT registered U18 + U21
BEL 4+4
CYP 2 LTP in XI Other ‘soft’ home-grown player rules in
UEFA definition of ‘locally trained player’
DEN 4+4 top-tier leagues
ENG 4+4
A player who, between the age of 15 (or the start of the season during who, EST 25 of 30 ATP The other ‘soft’ rules in place follow the same approach as the
between the age of 15 (or the start of the season during which the player turns FIN Half LTP Matchday squad
UEFA-style rules, with failure to meet the requirements resulting
15) and 21 (or the end of the season during which the player turns 21), has FRO ATP Excluded from squad limit
in reduced squad sizes, but the requirements and exceptions
been registered with a club (‘club-trained player’ or CTP) or with other clubs GEO 5 CTP
vary. For example, the Austrian league does not have a hard
affiliated to the same association as that of his current club (‘association- GER 4+4
minimum requirement, but distributes a third of the league’s TV
trained player’ or ATP) for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons GIB 3 LTP / 1 LTP Matchday squad / on pitch
revenue to clubs that have at least 12 Austrian players or 12
or 36 months, irrespective of the player’s nationality or current age. ITA 4+4
LUX 7 of 16 LUX first licence players who were registered in Austria before the age of 18. The
MDA 8 LTP Faroese league excludes association-trained players from its
UEFA-style locally trained player rules in NIR CTP Excluded from squad limit foreign player restrictions (see next page), and in Northern
domestic leagues NOR 16 of 25 Ireland club-trained players are excluded from the squad limit.
POR 6 LTP in squad
ROU 4+4 ‘Hard’ minimum requirements in top-tier
Some form of locally trained player rule is applied by almost half (23) of SUI 4+4 Excluded from squad limit leagues
Europe’s top-tier leagues. SWE 9 of 18 LTP
The ‘UEFA approach’ has been adopted by 13 domestic leagues, where the TUR 4+3 Seven leagues apply ‘hard’ locally trained player requirements
maximum squad size is reduced if the minimum number of locally trained UKR 4+4 that must be met in order for clubs to compete, rather than ‘soft’
players are not included. Nine of these leagues, including England, Germany requirements that result in reduced squad sizes if not respected.
and Italy, use the same basic ‘4 + 4’ requirement as UEFA (four association- The basis for these minimum player rules varies and can be
trained and four club-trained players), providing an element of consistency. linked to the starting 11, matchday squad or season squad.
Turkey is gradually introducing stricter locally trained player rules and the The leagues that take the locally trained players approach the
current 4 + 3 requirement will become 4 + 4 for the 2017/18 season. furthest are in Estonia, where 25 of the 30 players allowed in
A number of leagues outside the EU apply the same principle but with squads must be locally trained, and in Finland and Sweden,
variations on the theme, for example squad sizes are reduced in Georgia if they where half of every matchday squad must be locally trained.
contain fewer than five club-trained players and in Norway if there are fewer Luxembourg applies a different type of locally trained player
than 16 locally trained players. system, which is based on a player’s first registration being in
Luxembourg.

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CONTENTS OVERVIEW
CHAPTER 1: Domestic leagues and cups

Additional domestic player nationality rules Nationality-based requirements in top-tier

leagues

League Summary rules Details if specified

Other nationality-based regulations
ALB 5 non-national On pitch same time
Nationality-based rules are prevalent across Europe’s domestic leagues. Indeed, the only leagues without specific rules ARM Goalkeeper Armenian Work permit for other players
relating to non-nationals are in Belgium, Denmark, Greece and Portugal, and three of those countries impose locally AUT 12 Austrian/LTP Partial TV allocation, WP
trained player (LTP) requirements. AZE 5 non-national
A total of 18 top-tier leagues apply restrictions on clubs’ use of non-national players, ranging from a maximum of four BIH 6 non-national And work permit (WP)
BLR 4 non-national On pitch same time; Fee
foreign players in a match in Montenegro and four on the pitch at one time in Belarus, to the less restrictive seven foreign
BUL 3 / 5 non-EU Start XI / squad; WP
players in a match in Moldova and seven on the pitch at the same time in Ukraine.
CRO 6 non-EU Fielded during match
CYP 5 non-EU
CZE 5 non-EU / 4 Czech Fielded during match / squad
Non-EU-player limits are applied in a further 16 top divisions across Europe, with clubs allowed to field a maximum of EST 4 non-EU Leagues relying on
three non-EU players in Finland, Gibraltar, Iceland, Romania and Slovenia and just two in Poland. At the other end of the FIN 3 non-EU Match day squad work permits
scale, Croatian clubs can field up to six non-EU players in any one match. FRA 4 non-EU
FRO 4 non-Scandi. Fielded during match
Scope of
GEO 5 non-national - fee Registered League
application
GER 12 German Under contract
AND All
GIB 3 non-EU Must be professionals
ENG Non-EU
HUN 5 non-EU Fielded during match
ESP Non-EU
ISL 3 non-EU
IRL Non-EU
ISR 5 / 6 non-national On pitch / squad
LUX Non-EU
ITA 4 non-EU Registered
NED Non-EU
KAZ 8 non-national Squad
NIR Non-EU
LTU 6 non-national
NOR Non-EU
LVA 5 non-national On pitch
SCO Non-EU
MDA 7 non-national Fielded during match
SWE Non-EU
MKD 8 non-national
WAL Non-EU
MLT 7 non-national On pitch same time
MNE 4 non-national Fielded during match
Four leagues require a minimum number of national players, with Armenian clubs required to use Armenian goalkeepers, POL 2 non-EU On pitch same time Leagues with no known
Austrian clubs financially incentivised to have either Austrian citizens or players trained in Austria prior to their 18th ROU 3 non-EU nationality-based
birthday, Czech clubs required to have at least four Czech players in their squad and German clubs required to have at least RUS 5 non-national On pitch same time requirements
12 German players under contract during the season. SMR 6 non-national
SRB 6 non-national
A further 11 countries rely on national work permit regulations, which can impose relatively strong or weak de facto squad League Other
SUI 5 non-EU/LTP On pitch same time
restrictions depending on the regime in place. For example, as of quite recently the system developed by The FA and the SVK 5 non-EU Match day / squad BEL LTP
British government limits non-EU players on a quality basis, taking into account the number of national team caps a player SVN 3 non-EU Fielded during match DEN LTP
has received and the relative strength of his national team. The appeals process further considers the player’s transfer fee TUR 14 non-national Squad incl. max 2 GK GRE None
relative to the average fees paid in the two previous transfer windows, his wages relative to the club’s other wage earners UKR 7 non-national On pitch same time POR LTP
and his recent domestic and cross-border playing history.

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CONTENTS OVERVIEW
 2
CHAPTER

Head coaches

19
CONTENTS OVERVIEW
CHAPTER 2: Head coaches

Head coach highlights

Job security varies considerably but at least one head coach was replaced
in 2015 in every one of the 60 European leagues analysed in this section

With only a few exceptions the head coach ‘job security map’ clearly
demonstrates less patience the further south east you go in Europe

Italian and Serbian coaches are the most widely dispersed, coaching in 15
and 14 of the top 90 leagues respectively

20
CONTENTS OVERVIEW
 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

Head coach job security across Europe The head coach is a central figure at every football club. While it is an increasingly lucrative
profession at the top end of the game, the first European and global maps in this section
demonstrate that job security remains a problem and it is getting worse in many places.
ISL
42% The subsequent pages provide unique demographic insights, such as the average age of
head coaches, the proportion of home-grown and foreign managers and the variety of head
FIN coach nationalities across 60 European and 30 global leagues.
Percentage of clubs that changed 8%
head coach during 2014/15* FRO
60%

NOR SWE
31% 38%
Number of leagues in which clubs changed
SCO EST RUS
42% 40% head coach during 2014/15 (% thresholds)
56%
NIR 70% 72%
8% DEN LVA
IRL 42% 20%
50% LTU >90% 5
KAZ
ENG NED 65% 50% 67%
WAL 40%
58% 50% BLR
75% 25%
POL 75% -
BEL GER 69% 11
63% 56% 89%
LUX 56% CZE UKR
57% 56% 36%
SVK 50% -
FRA 75% 28
25% SUI AUT MDA 74%
70% HUN
60% 75% ROU 91%
40% SVN
50% 94% 25%-
ITA GEO 13
POR CRO BIH SRB AZE
72% 65% 69%
50% 49%
70% 44% 81%
75% ESP 77% BUL ARM
50% MNE 75% 75%
73%
33% MKD <25% 3
ALB 70% TUR
90% 94%
GRE 94%
83% Top-tier league

Second-tier league
MLT
75% CYP
58%
ISR
79% * The period taken is the 2014/15 domestic season, including the post-season summer
(i.e. summer 2015). All statistics include interim managers.

21
CONTENTS OVERVIEW
CHAPTER 2: Head coaches

Head coach job security around the world

Percentage of clubs that changed
head coach during 2014/15
Total number of head coach
changes (2009/10 to 2014/15)

USA JPN
20% 33%
TUN CHN KOR
MAR IRN 59%
75% 56% 17%
Top-tier league 56% 69%
ALG EGY 75%

94% 75% QAT

MEX KSA 50%
83% Second-tier league
79%
79%
CRC UAE
Number of leagues in which 100% 50%
clubs changed head coach
during 2014/15 (% thresholds) Percentage of clubs that
COL changed head coach each
81% Rate of head coach changes season (2009/10 to 2014/15)
90%+ 4 per club in 2014/15
ECU BRA
75% 90% 100
75% -
10 %
89%

50% - AUS
8 30%
74% CHI RSA
67% ARG 75%
URU
25%- 2 63% 81%
49%

Less 2
25% Average number of head coach changes
per season (2009/10 to 2014/15)

22
CONTENTS OVERVIEW
 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

Average head coach ISL

age across Europe

46.4

FRO FIN
44.8 46.4
NOR
Average age of first-team head 46.4 SWE
coaches in August 2016 48.6
SCO EST RUS
Number of European 43.5 45.2
50.8
45.7
leagues by age thresholds NIR
40.6 LVA
50.0
45.6
IRL DEN
47.5 47.2
51-53 6 ENG LTU KAZ
46.9 44.3
WAL 52.0 NED 51.2
45.2 BLR
45.8 46.6 45.0

49-51 9 POL
Top-tier league BEL GER 46.1
47.1 46.7 UKR
LUX 47.1 CZE 44.7
Second-tier league 43.6 52.2 SVK
47-49 15 49.3
FRA SUI AUT MDA
51.0 47.4 47.4 HUN 42.0
SVN 49.3 ROU
50.1 44.4
45-47 20 46.9 GEO
CRO AZE
POR 48.8 BIH SRB 45.2 43.6
ITA
49.4
ESP 47.4 46.3 BUL ARM
45.9
49.1 MNE 48.8 49.2
<45 10 49.9 47.7 MKD
51.3
ALB 47.9
47.0
44.4
TUR
51.3
GRE 46.6
Unlike the head coach job security analysis, there is no obvious regional 47.0
tendency towards young or old coaches. The wealthier leagues tend
towards older head coaches, with the average age in England (52.0), MLT CYP
France (51.0) and Turkey (51.3) among the highest of the 60 leagues 45.0 47.4
analysed. Northern Ireland has the youngest head coaches on average, at ISR
just over 40 years old (40.6). 46.3

23
CONTENTS OVERVIEW
CHAPTER 2: Head coaches

Average head coach age around the world

The average age of head coaches in the major

CONCACAF leagues is relatively low compared
with other continents. The coaches in
Mexico’s Liga MX are the oldest, and those in UEFA
North America’s MLS are the youngest. 46.5
CONCACAF AFC JPN
47.2 USA
50.5 50.3
44.4 TUN CHN
MAR IRN KOR
53.7 54.9
49.0
52.6 48.8 49.5
Average age (years) of first-team ALG EGY 48.5

53.8 51.8 QAT

Number of global leagues MEX head coaches at August 2016 KSA The AFC has the second highest average
51.5
by age thresholds 50.0 48.9 age of each continent (50.5), with the
45.2
CRC UAE clubs in the Chinese first league and UAE
>53 5 49.3 VEN 54.6 leagues registering the second and third
44.4 CAF highest average of the 90 leagues
COL 53.7 analysed around the world.
51-53 7 51.5 Clubs in the major CAF leagues clearly
GHA
place a premium on experience, with
57.8
the highest average age of any region.
ECU BRA The Ghanaian Premier League tops the
49-51 9
49.4 PER CONMEBOL 51.2
48.9 table, with an average age of 57.8.
52.6 47.5
Top-tier league
47-49 4
AUS
CHI Second-tier league
RSA 49.3
45-47 3 45.5 ARG 52.7
URU
45.0 50.9 The average age of head coaches in the major South
50.9 American leagues differs considerably. Whereas Venezuela,
<45 2 Chile and the first Argentinian league place their trust in
relatively youthful coaches with an average age of around
45, the head coaches in the top Brazilian, Colombian and
Peruvian leagues average over 50.

24
CONTENTS OVERVIEW
 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

Expatriate head coaches by region

Percentage of foreign head
coaches, August 2016 European leagues with the highest
percentage of foreign head coaches

The English Premier League has the highest proportion of

foreign head coaches in Europe at 75% featuring 10
different nationalities. Foreign coaches are now in the
majority in a number of other European leagues.

Ecuador’s Serie A employs the highest percentage of

foreign head coaches (83%) in the America’s with 83% non
Ecuadorian. Exactly half of the head coaches in Mexico’s
Liga MX and the Peruvian Torneo Descentralizado come Leagues in the rest of the world with the
from abroad. In general however foreign managers are in highest percentage foreign head coaches
the minority in this region.

American leagues with the highest

percentage of foreign head coaches

Top five foreign head coach nationalities

(number of leagues)

Of the leagues studied in the Middle East, the

Italian and Serbian head coaches are the most widely spread, highest percentage of foreign head coaches are
featuring in 15 and 14 of the world’s top 90 leagues. The found in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. In
fact, all the first-team head coaches employed by
79
Number of head coach English, French and Spanish are the next most frequent
nationalities represented in the 90 travellers, each being found in 12 different leagues outside clubs in the Qatar Stars League and the Arabian
leagues analysed around the world their home countries. Gulf League in August 2016 were foreign. South
Africa completes the top three, with 86% of its top-
tier clubs’ head coaches coming from abroad.

25
CONTENTS OVERVIEW
 3
CHAPTER

Players

26
CONTENTS OVERVIEW
 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

Player highlights

Russia and Turkey have the oldest average player age in Europe
with the second Dutch league comfortably the youngest

The English Premier League has comfortably the highest

percentage of expatriate players, at almost 70%

A strong majority, 82%, of global talent is concentrated in European

leagues with 48% playing in England, Germany, Italy or Spain.

27
CONTENTS OVERVIEW
CHAPTER 3: Players

Average player age ISL Unlike the head coach job security but like the head coach age

across Europe 24.8 analysis presented elsewhere in this report, there is no clear
geographical divide in average player age. Instead, the wealthier
talent-importing leagues tend to have a higher average first-team
Average age of first-team squads in squad age than talent exporters such as the Netherlands and the
January 2016 FRO FIN Balkan countries.
25.7 NOR 24.7
24.2 SWE
25.0
Number of European leagues
by age thresholds SCO EST RUS
25.9 24.1 27.1
NIR 24.9 25.4
25.9 LVA
27+ 2 IRL DEN 23.6
24.4 ENG 25.2 LTU
23.1 KAZ
WAL 26.9 NED 24.5 26.4
26.2 BLR
26 12 26.0 23.8
26.4
Top-tier league POL
BEL GER 25.7
24.7 25.4
25.5 - 11
24.0
25.3 UKR
Second-tier league LUX CZE 25.7
26 25.0 25.5 SVK
FRA 24.6
26.0 SUI AUT MDA
25 – 11 25.3 24.3 HUN
24.3
25.3 SVN 25.6 ROU
25.5
24.5 26.1
GEO
CRO SRB 24.1 AZE
POR 23.8 BIH 24.6 25.3
24.5 - 11 25.7 ITA
24.9 ARM
25 ESP 26.9 BUL
24.6 MNE 25.4 23.8
26.9 25.5 24.7 MKD
26.8 ALB 24.2
Less 14 24.4 TUR
24.5
27.1
GRE
26.1
The oldest average player age in Europe can be found in Russia and Turkey 25.9
(27.1), with players in the English, Spanish and Italian leagues close behind
(26.9). The average player is slightly younger in France (26.0), and younger still in
Germany (25.4). The Netherlands (23.8) has comfortably the youngest players MLT CYP
25.4 26.0
(23.1). In all ten countries where two leagues have been analysed, the average
ISR
age of the first-team squads in the second tier is younger than in the top tier, at 25.7
an average of 0.8 years per player.

28
CONTENTS OVERVIEW
 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

Average player age around the world

Average age of first-team squads, January 2016

The average age of first-team players in the major

CONCACAF leagues is over 26. Players in Mexico’s Liga MX With the exception of the Iranian
and the second tier in the USA (NASL) average over 27, top tier, the average age of first-
while in the MLS and the Costa Rican Primera División team players in the major Asian
squads average closer to 26 years old. leagues is over 26, with Qatar and
the Philippines averaging over 27.

USA JPN
26.3 26.1
27.4 TUN CHN KOR
MAR IRN 26.2
24.8 26.1 26.3
26.6 25.4
ALG EGY 26.0

26.0 26.7 QAT HKG

MEX KSA 27.2 IND 26.7
Number of global 27.1 26.4
leagues by age
26.7
UAE 26.1
CRC PHI
threshold 26.1 VEN 26.9 27.3
24.4 THA
27+ 4 The Tunisian Ligue Professionelle 1 has a 27.5
COL considerably lower average player age (24.8)
25.5 GHA than the other major domestic leagues in SIN
25.7 Africa. Egypt (26.7) and Morocco (26.6) are at 26.9
26 19 ECU BRA the other end of the scale.
25.8 25.4
25.5 - 26.1
6 PER
26
25.5
AUS
25 – CHI RSA 25.5
3
25.5 25.1 26.0
ARG URU
24.5 - 25.9 24.8
2 New Zealand’s ASB Premiership has the
The average age of first-team players in the major South
25 youngest top tier outside Europe, with an NZL
American leagues tends to be under 26. Venezuela (24.4)
average age of just over 24. The Australian A- 24.1
and Uruguay (24.8) have the youngest players in the
Less League also has relatively young squads, with
2 region, on average, and the Brazilian Série B has the
24.5 players averaging out at 25.5.
oldest (26.1).

29
CONTENTS OVERVIEW
CHAPTER 3: Players

Expatriate players by region

UEFA countries
Average percentage of expatriates
on first-team squads, January 2016 The English Premier League had the highest proportion of expatriate players
of the 175 leagues analysed (69.2%, featuring 65 different nationalities).
However, the largest nationality groups (French and Spanish) account for
less than 5% of the total number of players in the first-team squads.
Looking at the five leagues with the highest concentration of expatriates,
Brazilians represent just over a quarter of players in the Portuguese top
tier.** Argentinian players in Chile form the fourth highest concentration of
Americas expatriates (15% of all players) and account for 7 out of every 10 expatriate
players in Chile.

Rest of world

162
Number of nationalities in
these 30 leagues*

25 Brazilians are ubiquitous, with 409 Brazilian players featuring in 25 of the 30 leagues
included on this page. Their dispersion, however, may come as more of a surprise.
Expatriate Number Percentage of all Percentage of
While more than 20 Brazilians play in places as diverse as Hong Kong, Cyprus and Rank League Country
nationality* expatriate players players expatriate players
the USA, only 3 in total appear in the other five South American leagues with none
1. Liga NOS POR Brazilian 127 26% 46%
in Argentina or Columbia. By contrast, Argentinian expatriate players, while also 2. BGL Ligue LUX French 66 18% 36%
widely dispersed across 24 of the 30 leagues featured here, have a strong presence 3. S. League SIN Japanese 56 18% 49%
(138) in other South American leagues, including 18 in the Brazilian Serie A. 4. Primera División CHI Argentinian 73 15% 70%
5. Scottish Premiership SCO English 42 15% 32%

* The 30 leagues presented here represent a cross-section of leagues around the world with a high percentage of expatriates. For the purposes of this benchmarking analysis, ‘nationality’ reflects member association affiliation rather than official nationality, hence the
inclusion of English players as an expatriate group in the Scottish Premiership. ** Where players have dual nationality, this analysis takes their ‘primary’ nationality based on international representation or place of birth. If dual-nationality Brazilian-Portuguese players are
excluded from the analysis, the proportion of Brazilian players in Portugal would still rank highest at 24%.

30
CONTENTS OVERVIEW
 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

Player recruitment around the world

Average age: All ten of the wealthiest European leagues have a
higher than average percentage of expatriate players.
25.6
The 15 most international leagues are all European,
with the exception of the MLS (USA).

The MLS (USA) has comfortably the highest percentage

of expatriates outside of Europe and Mexico has one of
the highest average ages of the major leagues.
Ave.

Percentage
of
expatriates

Average 26.6%
expatriate players
Ave.

Ave.
The 16 CONCACAF and AFC leagues
featured in this graph tend to be in
line with or above the international
All 14 of the CONMEBOL and CAF leagues included in this average for player age.
analysis have below average numbers of expatriate players.

Average age of first-team squad (years old)

31
CONTENTS OVERVIEW
CHAPTER 3: Players

European player market value European distribution of top 100

leagues by player market value

The world’s €30.6bn in playing talent is spread across all corners of the 93

globe.* At the centre, an estimated 82% are plying their trade in Europe. 41. 40.
NOR SWE

44. 89
RANK SCO 7.RUS
1-15 & 1.ENG PL 37. €895m
VALUE DEN 99 48.
€4,400m 65
L2
Of the top 100 leagues by playing talent, 12.NED
19.GER 57
€582m
69 are found in Europe. This includes 39 RANK L2 70
16-30 & 66 10.ENG 14.BEL €310m 47. 38.
top-tier leagues and 30 in the second tier VALUE 43.
L2 62 €529m L3 88
POL 81
L3
€750m 4.GER 95
and below. Five Italian and German and BUNDESLIGA 15.UKR
23.FRA 35.
four English and Turkish leagues are RANK L2 €2,380m CZE €374m 91
77
included in the top 100. 31-50 €238m 5.FRA 31. 86
22.SUI 92
LIGUE 1 AUT
€243m 63
€1,560m 75 74 27.ROU
RANK 29.CRO €173m 79
51-100 €168m 39. 94 82
90
9.POR 2.ESP LA 3.ITA 62 SRB
51 96
€823m LIGA SERIE A 100

33. 98
L2 €3,250m €2,575m 87
17.ITA L2
69 72 73
21.ESP €323m 18.GRE 6.TUR
L2
€268m
€313m €947m 26.TUR
76 78 €178m
Considerable talent can be found outside the top tiers in
68
All 50 of the top clubs by
Europe, with the second-tier leagues in England, Italy, Spain, 54
player value are found in
Germany, France, Turkey and Brazil all featuring in the top 30 Europe. In total, 200 of the top
global leagues by player market value. 250 clubs are European, 24 are
* The market value of ‘playing talent’ is a theoretical, estimated market value because the actual market value depends on what someone is willing to pay to acquire the registration rights of each player. This is determined by
52 South American, 9 are Asian
multiple factors, including the player’s contractual situation and numerous characteristics of the player, and the buying and selling clubs. Club characteristics include the availability of alternative players (at the club and from and 17 are from CONCACAF.
outside), the club’s financial strength and league position, the number of clubs competing for players with the same characteristics, and the club’s managerial situation (e.g. new head coach or sporting director).

32
CONTENTS OVERVIEW
 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

Global player market value

Global distribution of top 100
leagues by player market value

UEFA
82% of
MV
20.USA
RANK €299m CONCACAF 16.CHN 49. 24.JAP
59
1-15 &
4%
85 €354m KOR €230m
53
VALUE 72
67 46.
60 45.
50.
EGY
QAT 36. AFC L2
13.MEX UAE

5%
58
RANK €563m
16-30 & 42.
VALUE
L2
97
80

RANK 25.COL 84
€201m
31-50
30.ECU CAF
€162m
RANK
51-100
55
8.BRA
€867m
1%
28.BRA
L2
€170m

€30.6 32.
CHI 34.
CONMEBOL
8% 56
64

billion
URU
83
11.ARG
€679m
An estimated €5.5bn in current playing talent is spread outside Europe. The largest talent pools play in
Brazil, Mexico and Argentina, with the top tier leagues in these three non-European countries ranked
in the top 15 of all leagues. Six other leagues outside Europe feature in the top 30 leagues for market
value, including fast-developing leagues in the USA and China.

33
CONTENTS OVERVIEW
 4
CHAPTER

Supporters

34
CONTENTS OVERVIEW
 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

Supporter highlights

Crowds of more than 170 million went to European league matches in

2015/16, with 55 million attending matches in England and Germany

There was a significant 2.6 million increase in European crowds last season,
with 14 leagues achieving their best attendance figures in more than ten years

Based on 4,900 season-to-season results, each step up or down the league

table results in an average 3% increase or decrease in match attendance

35
CONTENTS OVERVIEW
CHAPTER 4: Supporters

Top 10 attendances
In amongst all the good news about improved finances in European top-division
football, a drop in attendance figures was the one note of caution in last year’s
benchmarking report. The number of people going to matches is an important The highest aggregate and average crowds were once again found in
indicator of the underlying vitality of club football, as supporters are the lifeblood of the English Premier League and the German Bundesliga in 2015/16.
the professional game. All eight clubs that recorded home match attendances of more than 1
million play in the top tier in England, Germany or Spain, and four of
The latest season has seen a significant bounce back in attendances* for the the top ten European leagues by total attendance were second or
majority of clubs, the vast majority of leagues and in aggregate across Europe. third-tier leagues in England, Germany and Spain, emphasising the
strength and depth of supporter interest and stadium capacity in
these three traditional powerhouses.

Top ten European leagues by total attendance, 2015/16 Top ten European clubs by total attendance, 2015/16

Domestic Number Number of High club Club with 2015/16 European rank by total
Country Aggregate Average Average Total
tier of league of teams matches average season home attendances
ENG 1 20 380 13,855,180 36,461 75,286 1. FC Barcelona (ESP) 79,724 1,514,756
GER 1 18 306 13,249,800 43,300 81,178 2. Manchester United FC (ENG) 75,286 1,430,434
ESP 1 20 380 10,855,840 28,568 79,724 3. Borussia Dortmund (GER) 81,178 1,380,026
ENG 2 24 552 9,578,304 17,352 29,442 4. Real Madrid CF (ESP) 71,280 1,354,320
ITA 1 20 380 8,421,560 22,162 45,538 5. FC Bayern München (GER) 75,000 1,275,000
FRA 1 20 380 7,940,480 20,896 46,160 6. Arsenal FC (ENG) 59,944 1,138,936
NED 1 18 306 5,932,422 19,387 49,206 7. FC Schalke 04 (GER) 61,386 1,043,562
GER 2 18 306 5,864,490 19,165 30,724 8. Manchester City FC (ENG) 54,041 1,026,779
ENG 3 24 552 3,886,080 7,040 19,889 9. Newcastle United FC (ENG) 49,754 945,326
ESP 2 22 462 3,542,154 7,667 16,093 10. Hamburger SV (GER) 53,700 912,900

Record attendances

Total attendances in the following 14 countries were the highest for

at least ten seasons: Azerbaijan; Czech Republic; Estonia; Finland; the
Republic of Ireland; Israel; Northern Ireland; Luxembourg; Poland;
Portugal; San Marino; Slovakia; Slovenia, and; Sweden.

* Attendance figures are for the two most recently completed seasons, i.e. 2014/15 and 2015/16 for winter championships and 2014 and 2015 for the 11 summer championships.

36
CONTENTS OVERVIEW
 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

European attendance levels

Average match attendance trends,
2014/15 to 2015/16

Attendances at European football matches (domestic and

UEFA) exceeded 170 million in 2015/16. Including lower league
34 up
attendances, German and English clubs attracted 55 million
spectators between them. The trend in the top divisions was
largely positive (see map), with 34 leagues reporting increased 17 down
2,611,549
crowds, compared with 17 that reported a drop. Combined top
division attendances increased by more than 2.6 million
between 2014/15 and 2015/16.

37
CONTENTS OVERVIEW
 CHAPTER 4: Supporters

Attendance trend highs and lows Biggest increases in average club attendance
(5,000+)
Biggest increases in average league attendance
Clubs and European rank by 2014/15 2015/16
(100,000+)
attendance increase season season Increase
2014/15 2015/16 1. Manchester City FC (ENG) 45,365 54,041 8,676
Rank agg Increase Increase %
total total 2. Fenerbahçe SK (TUR) 20,029 28,589 8,560
1. SWE 678,960 40% 1,711,680 2,390,640 3. FC Internazionale Milano (ITA) 37,270 45,538 8,268
2. ESP 658,464 6% 10,197,376 10,855,840 4. Hapoel Beer-Sheva FC (ISR) 7,711 15,803 8,092
3. ISR 487,696 41% 1,199,744 1,687,440 5. Udinese Calcio (ITA) 8,912 16,209 7,297
4. AZE 231,463 99% 234,197 465,660 6. SSC Napoli (ITA) 32,266 38,760 6,494
5. POL 230,367 9% 2,464,121 2,694,488 7. Górnik Zabrze SSA (POL) 2,961 9,340 6,379
6. SCO 227,048 12% 1,974,292 2,201,340 8. Olympique Lyonnais (FRA) 34,949 40,250 5,301
9. Sporting Clube de Portugal (POR) 34,988 39,988 5,000
7. POR 214,727 7% 3,090,991 3,305,718
8. NED 188,683 3% 5,743,739 5,932,422
9. RUS 186,990 8% 2,473,410 2,660,400 Nine clubs added 5,000 or more to their average season
10. TUR 134,045 5% 2,444,617 2,578,662 match attendance between 2014/15 and 2015/16. At the
11. SRB 133,761 21% 622,815 756,576
top of the list is Manchester City FC, which benefitted
12. ENG 107,198 1% 13,747,982 13,855,180
13. FIN 104,544 26% 405,108 509,652
from increased stadium capacity, as did Udinese Calcio
and Olympique Lyonnais.
In total, 13 top-tier leagues added at least 100,000 to their total crowds between 2014/15
and 2015/16, contributing to a net top-division increase of more than 2.6 million.
Clubs that lost at least 5,000 of their average
crowd between 2014/15 and 2016/17

Clubs and European rank by 2014/15 2015/16

Decrease
Major year-on-year league attendance changes attendance decrease season season

While 13 leagues added at least 100,000 to their total crowds, just 3 saw an Decrease 2014/15 2015/16 1. S.S. Lazio (ITA) 34,949 21,025 -13,924
Rank agg Decrease 2. Olympique de Marseille (FRA) 53,130 42,015 -11,115
equivalent decrease. More than half of the Romanian decrease was due to a % total total
3. Valencia CF (ESP) 44,239 37,474 -6,765
reduction in the number of clubs and matches played. The majority of the French 1. FRA -514,729 -6% 8,455,209 7,940,480
4. LOSC Lille Métropole (FRA) 36,552 30,268 -6,284
Ligue 1 decrease was due to the mix of smaller clubs being promoted and larger 2. ROU -214,371 -19% 1,110,831 896,460
5. FC Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) 19,254 13,019 -6,235
3. UKR -200,410 -18% 1,111,866 911,456
ones relegated, with eight of the other clubs reporting increases and nine reporting
decreases in attendance. The continued decrease in Ukrainian attendance largely
Worse on-pitch results* contributed to decreases of
reflects the wider economic, political and security context.
5,000 or more at five clubs across Europe.

* While a late improvement in results saw LOSC Lille Métropole actually improve their season ending position from 2014/15 to 2015/16, the club spent the majority of the season in the bottom half of the table.

38
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 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

Attendances and on-pitch performance 15%

Trend in average attendance according to
The following charts illustrate some of the findings from a There is a clear link between average attendance year-on-year change in final league position*
major analytical review of how changes in on-pitch trends and on-pitch performance, as measured by
performance have impacted attendance levels at almost changes in final league position. On average, moving
1,000 clubs over the last decade.* The following four
one position up the league table added 3% to
main selection criteria have been applied: only
consecutive top division seasons have been compared; average attendance, with each position lost
changes related to increased or reduced stadium resulting in an equivalent 3% drop in attendance.
capacity have been excluded; changes arising from clubs A significant improvement or deterioration in
playing their home matches outside their home cities on
performance (moving three places or more in the
political grounds or playing behind closed doors on
disciplinary grounds have been excluded; and average
table), as seen more than 2,000 times across
attendance for each club has been compared with the European leagues in the last decade, has led on
league average in each season to remove the effect of average to crowds increasing by 15% or decreasing
underlying attendance and pricing trends. by 9%.
9%
Average percentage decrease in attendance of clubs with drop in
Across the decade, a decrease in on-pitch performance (-3 places or more in league table)
sporting performance correlates
to fewer crowds in every one of
the 49 leagues analysed.

There is, however, significant variation in the level of impact. In general, crowds in leagues with higher average attendances are less affected by
on-pitch results. Eight of the top ten leagues by average match attendance recorded an average attendance decrease of less than 2% as a result
of significant decreases in on-pitch performance, with Switzerland and Russia the exceptions. In most cases, these leagues that draw the biggest
crowds also have a higher proportion of season ticket holders, where tickets are effectively bought before on-pitch performance is known.
Leagues in which clubs sell most of their tickets on a match-to-match basis are naturally more likely to see fluctuations in attendance.

* This analysis covers all the 941 clubs that played in their domestic top-tier leagues in two consecutive seasons over the last decade (2006/07 to 2015/16): a total of 4,926 matches across 49 European top-tier leagues. To remove any league-specific trends in any particular year, each of the 4,926
attendance figures are compared to the league average for the season in question. Sporting performance is just one of many factors that can lead to changes in attendance. Other factors include ticket pricing and stadium capacity changes, as well as indirect factors such as the proportion of season
tickets, the level of capacity utilisation and the means of measuring attendances.

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CHAPTER 4: Supporters

Top 50 most attended global sports events

UCL group &
Map of the 50 events with at least 1 million spectators Six Nations RU KO (Europe) UEL group & KO

overall and an event average of at least 10,000 (Europe) 9. 24. (Europe)

40,997 21,890
CFL (CAN)
2012 Summer 1.
Olympics (ENG) 42. 72,000
Bundesliga I (GER)
20. Super League
Premiership
RL (ENG) 50. Bundesliga II (GER)
24,576 19. RU (ENG)
26,029
Women’s World Premier 7. 29. 46.
Cup (CAN)
League (ENG) 10. 40. 43,300
Russian Premier League (RUS)
19,165
NBA The Championship 36,461
2015 CONCACAF 8. (USA/CAN) (ENG) 35. Pro League
28.
Eredivisie 5.
19,387
Season Gold Cup (USA/CAN)
41,938 32. 2015 Rugby
4. (BEL) (NED) 46,481 2012 UEFA EURO’s
or event 51,621 26. 44. 48.
Super League (SUI) (POL/UKR)
rank & MLS (USA/CAN) 25. 34. World Cup (UK) 20,896 NPB
21,574 Ligue I (FRA) 39.
23. 16.
average 6. NHL (JPN)
attendance (USA/CAN) Primeira Liga (POR) 47. 22,162 28,241
13. 43,933 15. China Super
Serie A (ITA)
30,517
2.
League (CHN)
MLB
NCAA Div I 28,568 TOP 14 22. 33.
(USA/CAN) La Liga (ESP) 22,193 45.
68,400 RU (FRA) J League
(USA/CAN) (JPN)
KBO
NFL (USA) (KOR)

18. 17.
26,263 Indian Super 26,376 Asian Champions
League (IND) League (Asia)
Liga MX 12. 38.
(MEX) Liga Venezolana de Indian Premier 32,800
Beisbol (VEN) League (IND)
49.
Football Rugby Cricket

American Baseball Other

football
The 2014 FIFA
2015 Copa 3. World Cup (BRA)
Liberatadores
(South America) 21. 53,592
24,362
36.
Campeonato 11. The A League
43. AFL Aussie (AUS)
(BRA) 33,428 41.
2015 Copa Rules (AUS)
Top 10 Sudamericana
Rank 31-50 (South America) NRL RL
Super Rugby RU
14. 37. (AUS/NZ)
(Various) 29,433
31.
27.
30. The Big Bash Cricket 20,743
19,163
A total of 50 sports leagues or events have been identified as having
(AUS)
Rank 11-30 Primera Division Cricket World Cup
(ARG)
total attendance of at least 1 million and an average of more than (AUS/NZ)

10,000 in the most recent competition.*

* In addition there are at least four motor sports series (Formula 1, NASCAR, Indycar and MotoGP) that are ticketed events and are estimated to have annual attendance figures of between 1 and 5 million. Accurate figures are, however, not available
for these events, which are therefore not included on the map. There are various other events such as the grand cycling tours, the world rally series and city marathons that probably also exceed 1 million spectators but these are generally free to
attend. The attendance figures for the Summer Olympics reflect the average number of spectators paying to attend such events.

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 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

Aggregate attendance (in millions)

Table of the top 20 events by average attendance Top 50 events/leagues by sport
at top 50 events/leagues
Average Average Total Total attendance Number of
League/event Sport Country/area Season
attendance rank attendance attendance rank games
1 Six nations Rugby union Europe 72,000 1,080,000 48 15 2015
2 NFL American football US 68,400 17,510,000 6 256 2015
3 World Cup Football Brazil 53,592 3,430,000 27 64 2014
4 IRB Rugby World Cup Rugby union UK 51,621 2,478,000 34 48 2015
5 UEFA EURO finals Football Ukraine/ Poland 46,481 1,441,000 44 64 2012
6 NCAA Div I American football North America 43,933 37,913,000 2 864 2015
7 Bundesliga Football Germany 43,300 13,245,000 8 306 2015/16
8 Concacaf Gold Cup Football US/Canada 41,938 1,090,000 47 62 2015
9 UCL group & KO phases Football Various 40,997 5,125,000 24 125 2015/16
10 Premier League Football England 36,461 13,855,000 7 380 2015/16
11 AFL Aussie Rules football Australia 33,428 6,886,000 18 206 2015
12 Indian Premier League Cricket India 32,800 2,000,000 38 60 2015
13 MLB Baseball North America 30,517 73,760,000 1 2417 2015
14 Big bash cricket Cricket Australia 29,443 1,030,000 49 35 2015/16
Given its status as the ‘global game’, it is not surprising that football accounts for
15 La Liga Football Spain 28,568 10,724,000 9 380 2015/16
16 NPB Baseball Japan 28,241 24,897,000 3 876 2015 more than half (29) of the 50 most highly attended global sports leagues and events.
17 Indian Super League Football India 26,376 1,477,000 43 56 2015 In aggregate terms, the huge number of matches played in a season helps the MLB
18 Liga MX Football Mexico 26,263 8,002,000 14 306 2015/16 baseball league to enjoy by far the highest total attendance (73.8 million), almost
19 FIFA Womens world cup Football Canada 26,029 1,354,000 45 52 2015
double that of the combined total of the various NCAA Division I American football
20 CFL American football Canada 24,576 2,114,000 37 86 2015
college conferences (37.9 million) and six times the aggregate attendance of the
English Premier League or the German Bundesliga.

Attendance ranks among the top paying sports events vary considerably
Top 50 events/leagues by region*
depending on whether the average or total is used. The top 20 events by
average featured on the map are highlighted further in the table above,
with the rugby Six nations ranking number one by average but number 48 The 50 biggest sports leagues and events by attendance are
out of 50 by total attendances. By total attendance, sports such as Baseball spread around the world, with just over 40% in Europe and 20% in
or college football with a larger number of matches per season are at the North and Central America. The passion of sports fans in Oceania
top of the rankings. is also highlighted, with 6 of the 50 leagues/events taking place
there despite the region’s overall population of less than 40
million. While Asia, the most populous continent, only
contributes 7 of the top 50 leagues/events by attendance, many
of these, including the Indian Premier League and Super League
and the Chinese Super League, are relatively recent additions to
the global sporting landscape and they are growing fast.
* For the purposes of this general sporting analysis, the regions are divided along standard geographic rather than football confederation lines. Australia is therefore grouped with New Zealand in Oceania. Events are included by region according to their last host country and
the ‘Super Rugby’ is included in Oceania, where the majority of matches are played, albeit with South African teams and a new Japanese team also taking part in this cross-border championship.

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CHAPTER 4: Supporters

Most successful official club websites Monthly visitor highs and average
minutes spent on website
Last year’s report illustrated the growing international profile of a limited number of ‘global’ orientated
clubs by means of a detailed analysis of social media following. This year we return to the theme but Visitors spent considerably longer
instead analyse the most successful official club websites.* on the websites of the three clubs
highlighted below.

A total of 28 clubs, 26 of them from Europe,

welcomed at least 1 million visitors to their websites
each month in the first half of 2016.

Average minutes spent on website

Once again, the strong supporter bases of English
and German clubs are evident, with seven English
and five German clubs clocking up more than 1
million website visits.

Five clubs enjoyed considerably

more visits to their official
websites than the others.

Monthly visitor high

* More than 200 club websites were benchmarked against a number of factors using www.similarweb.com. The monthly high was the peak month across the period January to June 2016. The average minutes spent on each site is based on the June 2016 web traffic data. The
very first edition of the report included Dynamo Kiev in the chart. This was a mistake, referring to an unofficial fan website rather than the official website and so has now been corrected.

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 43
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 5
CHAPTER

Stadiums and stadium development

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 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

Stadium development highlights

In the last decade 48% of the major global

stadium projects have taken place in Europe

Turkey (18), Poland (14) and Russia (14) have undertaken the
most major new stadium projects in Europe since 2007

There has been a notable upward trend in European stadium building, 58

new club projects having been scheduled between 2013 and 2017,
compared with 23 between 2008 and 2012

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CHAPTER 5: Stadium and stadium development

A decade of new stadiums

This section combines a number of stadium databases with UEFA’s own research to create a unique picture of stadium developments around the world over the last ten years.
Infrastructure projects can leave a lasting legacy for sport and such investments are specifically encouraged by UEFA’s financial fair play system.

Stadium projects come in many shapes and sizes. For the purposes of this report, the following analysis is limited to outdoor stadiums with a capacity of over 5,000, built since 2007 or
currently under construction. The projects are broken down by year of opening, type of project, principal users, region, country and project status to provide a meaningful overview of
trends.

The following analysis of outdoor stadium projects over the

last decade covers 365 projects with capacities of over 5,000.
Over the next two pages, this full sample is used to illustrate
the global stadium landscape and the distribution of new Stadiums
stadium projects according to tenants, sporting discipline,
country and continent. 365
Of the 365 major stadium projects
The 167 football stadium projects that have taken, or Football identified in this analysis, 240 are football
are taking place, within Europe are analysed on page stadiums and 174 are in the territory of
48, which presents their geographical spread, the 240 UEFA member associations. The vast
majority of those 174 are European
fifteen largest projects of the last decade and the
specific type of projects undertaken. football stadium projects (167) and the
remainder are Rugby Union or Speedway
grounds.
UEFA
167

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 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

Stadium projects by type Stadium project by year of completion

Type of stadium development project

Stadium development projects come in many forms. The 365 projects included
in this analysis have been divided into the following three categories:
New build: a completely new stadium in a new location. More than half (57%)
of the projects analysed fall into this category.
Rebuild: a stadium that has been largely rebuilt on the original premises. This
accounts for 8% of the projects analysed.
Renovation: the remaining 35% of projects analysed were existing stadiums
that underwent significant renovations. Cosmetic renovations such as seat
replacements are not included.

Upward trend in new builds

The bar chart of stadium projects by year of completion indicates a general
Top ten countries by number of new builds upward trend in the number of stadium projects completed between 2007 and
and initial tenants 2017, the three most prolific years being within the last four seasons. In
particular, the 34 new builds to be delivered in 2017 stand out. The ‘after 2017’
figure includes only those projects with a confirmed end date and therefore
almost certainly fails to reflect the number of projects that will see the light in the
years to come.
Stadium projects by sport
Principal tenants of new builds
Looking at the ten most prolific countries for new builds and the type of initial Two-thirds of the stadiums analysed in this section were
tenant, the USA has been the most active, with 46 new stadium projects since built for football, with American football responsible for
2007. Turkey, Poland and Russia also stand out, with 18, 14 and 14 new builds most of the remaining projects.
respectively.
A total of 58 (16%) of projects were driven by major cross-border sporting events
such as the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA European Championship and the Olympic
Games. In nearly all cases a club or federation became the anchor tenant after
the event.

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CHAPTER 5: Stadiums and stadium development

Stadium projects across Europe

Pie charts indicating
number of projects by type

Distribution of stadium development projects completed since 2007

New build
Across Europe, 167 different football stadium projects have been tracked since 2007. Five
European countries (Poland, Turkey, Germany, Russia and England) have had ten or more
football stadium projects in the last decade. Major stadium projects (5,000+ capacity)
have taken place on the territory of 33 different UEFA member associations. There is an
obvious relationship between stadium projects and the hosting of major events such as
the UEFA European Championship or the FIFA World Cup, which have boosted the
number of stadium development projects in Poland, Ukraine and Russia.
RUS
The 167 major European football stadium projects included in this analysis comprise 46
renovations, 20 rebuilds and 101 new builds. It is notable that nearly all of the projects in
Russia and Turkey are new builds, at a total of 32 across the two countries. By contrast,
new builds represent half of the major projects in the rest of Europe.
ENG
GER POL
UKR

Top fifteen European stadium projects FRA

since 2007 by capacity HUN

ESP
Total number of projects per
TUR country

The top 15 European stadium projects of the last decade by

stadium size are spread across ten countries in all corners of
Europe, from Azerbaijan and Russia to Spain. Of these top 15
stadium projects the majority were new build stadiums.

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 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

Stadium projects around the world Top fifteen new builds outside Europe by capacity

Number of major stadium projects See Europe map

on page 51
completed since January 2007

CAN CAN
2
CAN
1 UEFA
48%
IRQ 1 UZB
2
1 AFC
IRQ 6
USA USA 9%
1
46
USA CONCACAF KWT IRN AFG
KOR
JPN
MAR CHN 3
68 34% 2
1 1 1
4
2
ALG 6
MEX KSA
1 BGD
3 MEX QAT 1
2 4
UAE
VEN CAF 1 SGP
1
4% 1
COD
Type and number of stadium 1 IDN
BRA
projects since January 2007 BRA 7 4 2
PER
1
New
Rebuild
Renov BRA 5
build ation
AUS
CONMEBOL 2
5% RSA 6
1 2-4 5+ URU
1

The USA lead the world in terms of stadium development Algeria and South Africa are responsible for the majority of the
Several nations have been active in stadium developments in
projects. Since 2007, 115 major stadium projects have been stadium projects in Africa analysed in this study. Whereas the
Asia. Iraq is probably the most eye-catching, with 6 new builds
reported in the USA. Other major stadium builders in the high number in South Africa can be explained by the country’s
and 1 rebuild. China and Qatar are also home to a relatively large
Americas are Brazil with 16 and Mexico and Canada, with 5 hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Algerian stadium projects
number of stadium projects completed since 2007.
projects each. cannot be ascribed to a major sports event.

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CHAPTER 5: Stadiums and stadium development

Stadium projects over the years

This two-page timeline plots the 365 stadium projects The European stadium projects on this first page, spanning from 2007 to 2012, include a number of
by geographical area, project type, project size and EURO 2008 and 2012 projects in Austria, Switzerland, Poland and Ukraine. As already highlighted, the
date of completion. large number of mainly smaller circles reflect the significant infrastructure investments made in
Stadium projects timeline Poland throughout the period, which also featured nine stadium development projects in Germany.

New Renova
Rebuild
build tion

More than
UEFA
60.000

Capacity 30,000 to
60,000
Less than
30,000

Perhaps the first thing that stands out in the

USA is the sheer number of college sport
USA
stadium projects. The number and size of
projects highlights the level of infrastructure
investment possible when player wages do
not absorb the lion’s share of revenues.
Second largest new build –Beijing
National Stadium – CHN – 91,000
Largest new build – First National Bank
The scale of American football’s NCAA
Division I in particular is perhaps not so well
Rest of Stadium Johannesburg – RSA – 91,141

known outside its home market but it is big world

business, as already highlighted by its sixth
place in the global attendance rankings in
the previous section.
In general these projects involve
modernising the giant bowls that
proliferate in US college sport. More than
three-quarters of the 82 US college sport Major international events triggered most of the largest stadium
projects were renovations and more than projects tracked in the rest of the world (outside Europe and the USA).
half of them for capacities of 30,000+. This includes the four projects given specific mention and the South
African stadiums delivered for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

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 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

Low interest rates for financing projects, as well as a new generation of club owners and the improved health
of clubs (both encouraged by financial fair play), are some of the factors behind the noticeable and welcome European club stadium
increase in new club stadium projects in Europe, with 58 new or rebuilt club stadiums delivered or scheduled new builds and rebuilds
to be delivered between 2014 and 2017, compared with 23 in the previous four-year period (2010 to 2013).

This second page features numerous French

stadiums used for EURO 2016 and Russian
stadiums due to be used for the FIFA World Cup
2018.

This second page also highlights the major club

stadium construction programme currently being
undertaken in Turkey, with 13 new or rebuilt
stadiums opening in 2016 and 2017 alone.

Largest renovation – Michigan Stadium

Ann Arbor– USA – 107,601

Third largest new build – Mercedes-

Benz Stadium, Atlanta – USA – 71,000

Iraq and Algeria are two nations undertaking a

relatively high number of stadium projects (seven
and six respectively) without hosting a major
Largest rebuild – Maracanã Rio event.
de Janeiro – BRA – 82,238

The 2014 FIFA World Cup was a driving Qatar, appointed to host the FIFA World Cup
force behind the numerous new and rebuilt 2022, accounts for a number of projects
stadiums in Brazil in 2013 and 2014. confirmed for completion after 2017.

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 6
CHAPTER

Club ownership

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 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

Club ownership highlights

Forty-four clubs in major European leagues are now under

foreign ownership, by owners of 18 different nationalities

Foreign ownership is still centered in England, where more than

half of the clubs in the top two leagues now have foreign owners

2016 is already the most active year for foreign club takeovers, with ten
new acquisitions by November, including eight new Chinese owners

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CHAPTER 6: Club ownership

European club ownership European club ownership profile

The next few pages of this report provide a high-level summary of

club ownership, investor profiles and trends across 232 clubs in 13 Foreign club ownership
of Europe’s major leagues.* The analysis on this page identifies
The English Premier League and the English Championship (second tier) have
whether clubs currently have controlling parties (owning more than comfortably the highest degree of foreign club ownership in Europe (75% and
50% of shares) and whether the majority owners are domestic or 54% respectively) and this trend has increased in recent years. In addition,
foreign nationals. The next page looks in more depth at the profile foreign owners are becoming a significant minority in France, Spain and Italy,
of owners and other significant investors, and the section ends with with isolated cases in Belgium, the Netherlands and Portugal too.
a timeline of foreign ownership.
ENG2
RUS

ENG1
NED
Type of ownership
Russia and Italy are the two leagues with
BEL GER the highest share of domestic club owners,
UKR representing a strong majority. Domestic
ownership is also common in Belgium,
FRA Switzerland and Ukraine.
SUI

POR

ESP ITA

TUR

The majority of the 232 clubs in this analysis have a controlling No controlling party**
party, although a sizeable minority do not (37%). A club’s legal form More than three-quarters of clubs in Germany, Portugal and
and the regulatory framework in which it operates has a significant Turkey do not have controlling parties as the clubs are
impact on its ownership profile and this accounts for major predominantly associations. This ownership structure is also
differences between leagues, as illustrated by the difference in the quite dominant in the Netherlands and Spain, with some
size and colour of the pie chart on the map. cases also seen in Belgium, France, Switzerland and Ukraine.
* Information sourced from a combination of club representations submitted as part of the club licensing process (March-July 2016) and UEFA desktop research (up to November 2016). ** No controlling party in this analysis refers to no single or group of owners working
in concert with more than 50% holding in the voting share capital.

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 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

Origin and destination of foreign ownership and investment Nationality of foreign owners and significant
Origin of foreign owners investors (number of clubs)

The Asian region provides the largest source of foreign investment, with 17
clubs under majority foreign ownership. As of November 2016, nine clubs are
under Chinese control and Chinese owners are present in six different leagues,
making them the most widespread of any nationality. In addition, six clubs
have received significant non-controlling Chinese investments. Besides China,
Thailand, Malaysia and India are all sources of multiple club investments.
Significant investment =
typically between 20 and
North America, and more specifically the USA, is the second largest source of 49.9% shares
investment in European clubs. As of November 2016, 10 clubs across 4 Ownership = more than
* different leagues (the English Premier League and Championship, Italy’s Serie A 50% shares
and most recently the French Ligue 1 ) are under American ownership.

A total of 20% of total foreign investment comes from within Distribution of foreign ownership and investment
Europe – from European investors who either own or invest in a (number of leagues)
European league club of a nationality other than their own. The
two most prominent nationalities in this investor group are
Sources of investment
Russian and Italian. As of November 2016, there are four clubs
owned by Russian investors in three leagues outside Russia (the
French Ligue 1, the English Premier League and the Dutch
In decades past, the source of
Eredivisie) and Italian ownership in England’s top two leagues.
owners wealth could usually be
tracked to one particular local
industry, sector or activity. The
arrival of super wealthy overseas
The Middle East is another region that has become active in investors makes this analysis
European club ownership, with a number of extremely high- more challenging, as they often
profile investments made in recent years. Paris Saint-Germain FC have multiple sources of wealth.
and Malaga CF are currently under Qatari ownership, Manchester Nevertheless, the pie chart on the
City FC have owners from the UAE, Nottingham Forest FC have left provides a rough typology of
Kuwaiti owners and Leeds United received a significant but primary wealth sources.
minority-share investment from Bahrain.

* ‘Other’ includes club ownership from Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Iran, Kuwait, Poland, Singapore, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates. The five other major non-controlling investments are from investors in Bahrain, Iceland, Indonesia, Latvia and Uzbekistan .

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CHAPTER 6: Club ownership

Foreign ownership timeline

New influx of
The second largest source of foreign ownership comes from
North America, mainly the USA. Of the 13 clubs in the English
The largest share of foreign ownership in European club football comes from Asia. Chinese club
As the timeline shows, Asian ownership has mainly emerged over the last season
Premier League, six are under American ownership. Americans (2015/16). Of the ten new owners that invested in clubs in Europe’s top leagues in ownership
were the first foreign owners to come from a continent other 2016, eight came from China. It is also worth noting that Chinese investors have
than Europe and their influx has been fairly consistent over time. invested in clubs in five different leagues in the first 11 months of 2016*.

Nine foreign owners are European. These owners come

from five different countries, and four of them are
Russian. In this sample of clubs from 13 leagues,
Russian investment has also accounted for the longest-
standing active ownership (since 2003).

The fourth and smallest source of foreign ownership is

the Middle East, with four clubs under Middle Eastern
ownership. These four clubs come from four different
leagues: the English Premier League, the English
Championship, the French Ligue 1 and Spain’s La Liga.

* AC Milan are finalising a change in ownership but the deal has not been completed at the time of this analysis and so have not been included on chart.

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 7
CHAPTER

Club sponsorship

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CHAPTER 7: Club sponsorship

Club sponsorship highlights

The top three kit manufacturers (Adidas, Nike and

Puma) supply just under half of European club teams

Club sponsorship is much wider spread with only 6% of

sponsors appearing on the shirts of more than one club

25% of stadiums in the top 16 European

leagues have commercial naming rights

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Club kit manufacturer profile

Percentage of European club
This section analyses three of the most high-profile teams per kit manufacturer
types of club sponsorship: kit manufacturers, principal
club shirt sponsors and, finally, club stadium naming
rights across all clubs in the 16 most commercially
successful European leagues.
The three most common kit manufacturers provide just under
half the kits for clubs in the 16 most commercially successful
Kit manufacturers leagues. By contrast these same three kit manufacturers
Brands that produce the kits for football provide 75% of the 55 UEFA national team kits.
clubs and national teams

Shirt sponsors
The principal front of shirt sponsors, which are
usually also the main club sponsors
Kit manufacturers and key accounts
Stadium naming rights holders Rank Manufacturer Federation Club Total Key Accounts
Sponsors that pay to have their brands 1 adidas 24 41 65 Manchester United FC, Real Madrid CF, FC Bayern Munich
incorporated into stadium names 2 Nike 12 43 55 FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain FC, Manchester City FC
3 PUMA 5 19 24 Arsenal FC, Borussia Dortmund, Leicester City FC
4 Macron 1 15 16 OGC Nice, Sporting Clube de Portugal, SS Lazio
5 Umbro 3 10 13 Everton FC, West Ham United FC, PSV Eindhoven
6 Joma 2 12 14 Swansea City AFC, Villarreal CF, UC Sampdoria
7 Jako 2 8 10 Bayer 04 Leverkusen, SC Heerenveen
8 Kappa 9 9 SSC Napoli, Borussia Mönchengladbach
9 Lotto Sport 8 8 TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, Genoa CFC
10 Hummel 1 6 7 SC Freiburg, Brøndby IF
11 New Balance 6 6 Liverpool FC, FC Porto, Sevilla FC, Celtic FC
A number of kit manufacturers focus
12 Errea 1 4 5 Norwich City FC, Delfino Pescara 1936
exclusively on club teams.
13 Under Armour 4 4 Tottenham Hotspur FC, Southampton FC
14 Other 3 29 32 AFC Bournemouth, ACF Fiorentina, AS Saint-Étienne

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CHAPTER 7: Club sponsorship

Club shirt sponsorship profile

While a select number of sponsors can be found on the shirt fronts of more than one club, shared sponsorship is actually fairly rare.
Just 14 of the 226 shirt sponsors (6%) active in the 16 most commercially successful leagues sponsor more than one club. At the start
of the 2016/17 season, 9% of clubs were without a shirt deal.

Percentage of clubs with single, Clubs from 8 of the 16 leagues included in this analysis
The 14 sponsors who sponsor more than one club cover 36 clubs (13%)
shared or no shirt sponsor
between them. The most common shirt sponsor across these major leagues started the season without a shirt sponsor. Clubs in the
is the airline Emirates, which has six major shirt sponsorship deals in six Ukrainian Premier League were the most likely to not
different countries. Only four other shirt sponsors appear in more than one have a shirt sponsorship (5 out of 12), with five Italian
country, namely Kia (three clubs in two countries) and Gazprom, Intersport and four Portuguese clubs also starting 2016/17 without
and Red Bull (one club in two countries each). a sponsor on their shirts.

Two betting firms in England have the highest concentration of sponsorship

deals in a country: 888sport (four Championship clubs) and Dafabet (two
Premier League clubs and one Championship club).
Shirt sponsors and key accounts
Rank Sponsor Total Key Accounts
1 Emirates Airline 6 Real Madrid CF, Paris Saint-Germain FC, Arsenal FC, AC Milan
2 888sport 4 Birmingham City FC, Nottingham Forest FC, Brentford FC
3 Dafabet 3 Burnley FC, Sunderland AFC, Blackburn Rovers FC
4 Kia 3 FC Girondins de Bordeaux, Vitória FC, CF Os Belenenses
5 Banco BIC 2 FC Arouca, GD Estoril Praia The analysis on these two pages focuses on ‘principal shirt sponsors’. It should be
6 Carlsberg 2 F.C. Copenhagen, Odense Boldklub noted that clubs in more and more leagues are allowed to have different shirt
7 Estrella de Galicia 2 Celta de Vigo, Deportivo de La Coruña sponsors for home and away matches or for domestic and UEFA matches.
8 Gazprom 2 FC Schalke 04, FC Zenit Saint Petersburg
9 Intersport 2 Olympique de Marseille, Wigan Athletic FC
Additionally, extra sponsorship is becoming more prominent on socks, shorts, shirt
10 Mansion 2 AFC Bournemouth, Crystal Palace FC
backs and sleeves, with the English Premier League allowing the latter to be used for
11 MEO 2 FC Porto, Rio Ave FC the first time from 2017/18. The biggest clubs are also signing financially significant
12 Mestre da Cor 2 Boavista FC, CD Feirense deals for sponsorship of their training kits.
13 Red Bull 2 FC Red Bull Salzburg, RB Leipzig
14 Santander Totta 2 CS Marítimo, CD Nacional
15 Other 212

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Club shirt sponsorship by sector

Banking, insurance and financial services is the most Club shirt sponsorship by
prevalent sector for shirt sponsorship, with 38 active business sector
deals in place (20 clubs are sponsored by banks and
11 by insurance companies).

The second and third highest concentration of a single sector is found in Ukraine, where
42% of club shirt sponsors are industrial products firms, and in Switzerland, where 40%
of club shirt sponsors are from the banking, insurance and financial services sector.

Most common business sectors

Very common Common
> 25% 11-25%
Banking, insurance & financial services BEL, SUI DEN, ENG1, ENG2, GER1, GER2, NED, POR
Airlines & automotive FRA, ITA ENG1, GER1, POR
Betting ENG1, ENG2 BEL, TUR
Industrial products UKR AUT, BEL, GER2, ITA, POR, RUS, TUR
Food & beverage DEN AUT, GER1, GER2, TUR
Energy NED, RUS AUT, GER1
Consumer goods GER2, SUI POR, TUR
The most common source of shirt sponsorship differs considerably between countries. Business services NED FRA, GER1, UKR
The highest sectoral concentration in a top European league is found in the English Telecommunications BEL, NED, POR
Premier League, where 45% of clubs have betting companies as their shirt sponsors. Tourism ESP, FRA
Betting companies are very common only in the top two English leagues and relatively Retail DEN, GER1
common in Belgium and Turkey, with restrictions in place in many other countries. Other RUS ESP, TUR

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CHAPTER 7: Club sponsorship

Club stadium naming rights profile

In the 16 leagues with the highest commercial revenues, exactly a quarter of stadiums have commercial naming
rights deals in place. The picture varies considerably between countries, however, with naming rights applied to
more than half of German and Danish club stadiums but none in Portugal, Spain or Ukraine.*

Brands with stadium naming rights

deals with one or more clubs Only three brands hold stadium naming rights at more
than one stadium in the 16 most commercially successful
Number and percentage of stadiums
European leagues. They are Allianz (3x), AFAS (2x) and with naming rights per league
Red Bull (2x).
Percentage of total
clubs in the league

Number of clubs
per league

The bar chart indicates that clubs in 13 different

European leagues have stadium naming right deals in
place. The exceptions are in Spain’s La Liga, Portugal’s
Primeira Liga and the Ukrainian Premier League.*

* One club in Spain’s La Liga (RCD Espanyol) had a stadium naming rights deal in place in 2014 and 2015 but reverted back to having no sponsor in their stadium name for the start of
the 2016/17 season. In addition, one club in the Spanish second tier stadium (RCD Mallorca) and one multi-sports arena uses naming rights.

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Club stadium naming rights by sector

Once again, when combined into one sector, banking,
Stadium naming rights per
business sector insurance and financial services are responsible for the most
stadium naming rights deals in Europe. Indeed, their
concentration among stadium naming rights holders (25%)
is almost double their share of shirt sponsorship (14%),
where they are also the most prominent sector.

The three sectors that make up the right-hand side of the

pie chart together account for half of European football
club stadium naming rights.

Increasingly popular source of revenue

Outside the 16 leagues analysed in detail in this section, multiple Stadium naming rights first became popular in North America, where the majority
naming right deals (at least two per country) are found at football of new American football, baseball and multi-purpose stadiums and arenas are
club stadiums in Finland, Norway, the Republic of Ireland, Poland, partly financed this way. Indeed, more than 300 major US stadiums have naming
Scotland and Sweden. In total, 115 football stadiums and another rights deals. This practice is spreading globally with approximately 30 stadiums each
80 stadiums and arenas around Europe use naming rights. in Japan and Australia identified as having commercial naming rights deals in place.

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 8
CHAPTER

Club revenues

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Club revenue highlights

European club revenues are now SIX times the 1996 level,
having grown at an average of more than 9% a year

Revenue growth since 2009 has varied, with the average English Premier
League club adding FIVE times more revenue than the average Italian Serie A
or French Ligue 1 club

The top 15 clubs have added €1,500m in sponsorship and commercial

revenue since 2009, compared with less than €500m for the other 700
clubs

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CHAPTER 8: Club revenues

Long-term European club revenue growth

595% increase in the

last 20 years European club revenues have grown every year over the last
two decades at an average rate of 9.3%.*

€ Billions Club revenues are now more than double what they were in
2004 and almost six times the level of 1996.
Average 9.3% p.a.

This level and consistency of long-term revenue growth is

extraordinary, especially for a mature activity, with many
leagues dating back more than a century. It is testament to
the increasing interest in and health of European football.

* Compound average growth rate. Source: data covering all of Europe’s top-division clubs submitted directly to UEFA since 2007. Prior to this no Europe-wide data was available but many of the major leagues collected data and this has been summarised in the Deloitte Annual Football Review dating
back to 1996. The total European top-division aggregate revenue and wages for 1996 to 2006 has been estimated by extrapolating across the missing leagues using a ratio of 68:32 (non top-five data extrapolated from known top-five data).

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Medium-term European club revenue growth

Six-year revenue growth (aggregate league increase, €m per club increase and percentage growth)* Ranking by average
Six-year growth Average six-year club growth Average six-year growth rate
FY2015 revenue

Over the medium term (FY2009 to FY2015, typically equivalent to two TV cycles), clubs +€1,984m
in the top ten leagues (ranked by average revenue) have increased their revenues by an +€866m
average of 49%. In absolute terms, English clubs have extended their revenue
+€549m
advantage, growing by €99.2m per club, while German clubs have consolidated their
position in second place ahead of Spain by increasing revenues to the tune of €48.1m +€380m
per club, compared with €27.4m per Spanish club. Clubs in the next four leagues, all in +€372m
countries with large populations, have also enjoyed healthy growth at an average of +€309m
€15m to €20m per club. +€274m
Growth has been more patchy lower down the rankings, where clubs from countries +€12m
with smaller populations have not benefitted from similar levels of TV growth. Belgian, +€81m
Kazakh and Swiss clubs have enjoyed the most relative success in increasing their +€79m
revenues but the average revenue in Austria, Denmark, Greece, the Netherlands,
+€45m
Norway, Portugal, and Scotland has either decreased or increased only marginally.**
-€11m
+€18m
132% Six-year increase in European club revenues per
revenue stream (FY2009-FY2015, all 54 Over two TV cycles, total European -€16m
leagues) club revenue has increased by 44%. +€87m
54% 58% The revenue mix has changed, with
-€65m
low growth in gate receipts and
44% other revenues (primarily +€67m
43%
UEFA

BROADCASTING
SPONSORSHIP &

donations) reducing their impact. -€16m

COMMERCIAL

7% 4% Gross transfer spending (not

TRANSFERS

-€75m
TOTAL

included in revenue) has increased

+€37m
RECEIPTS

OTHER

at the same rate as total revenues.

GATE

* Financial year ending in 2009 (FY2009) to financial year ending in 2015 (FY2015) .
** The Scottish clubs’ average revenue decreased partly as a result of the relegation of Rangers FC, one of the two largest clubs in Scotland.

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CHAPTER 8: Club revenues

Short-term FY2015 European club revenue growth

Revenue changes over one year (FY2014 to
FY2015) in local currency terms

While combined European club revenue has seen consistent

growth, country-specific developments are naturally more
varied. For middle-income leagues, one club missing out on
qualification for the UEFA Champions League group stage can
set the trend and all the countries in dark red (>10% drop in
revenue) were affected by this. On the up side, the map clearly
indicates a return to better club revenue growth in eastern
Europe and the Balkans after a mixed picture in recent years.
The general upward trend across Europe between FY2014 and
FY2015 is evident, with growth reported in 38 leagues, of
which 32 reported significant growth of more than 5%.

Average club revenue

trends, FY14 to FY15

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 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

Average and aggregate revenues by country

Average club revenue per top
division (€m)*

Aggregate club revenues per

top division (€m)*

The ability of clubs to generate revenues varies

enormously across Europe’s top-tier leagues,
from England, where clubs generate €220.3m on
average and €4.4bn in aggregate, to San Marino,
where the 15 clubs generate an average of just
over €0.1m and an aggregate of €2.1m.

England’s 20 top-tier clubs together reported more revenue than

all 597 clubs combined from the 48 grey, blue and purple
countries. By way of historical sporting context, those countries
have provided 20 different clubs that have won UEFA silverware.

Average
revenue Aggregate
revenue
€50m+
€500m+
€5m to
€50m €100m to
* All financial figures presented and analysed in this report are collected either directly from clubs or indirectly through national associations or leagues, using €500m
€1m to UEFA’s extensive online reporting templates. This data is itself sourced from official financial statements verified by independent external auditors. In some cases
€5m certain items are reallocated in order to achieve consistency in financial reporting across Europe, an important requirement of benchmarking. In a limited number €10m to
of cases data may not be available, typically where a club has been relegated or fallen outside the scope of the club licensing system. In these cases the missing €100m
€0.1m to data is simulated by UEFA using data for these clubs from the previous year or, if this is not representative, using an extrapolation of data from clubs with a similar
€1m profile from the same league. Simulated data makes up less than 1% of the total data by value. Across the 20 highest-revenue leagues, financial data has been €1m to
extrapolated in FY2015 for six Portuguese, two Ukrainian and one Italian club. In addition, the Spanish figures include data on one promoted club and data from €10m
FY2014 for one other club.

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CHAPTER 8: Club revenues

Revenue and revenue growth: the top 30 clubs

FY2015 revenues

€400m+

€300m-€400m 15

20
9 3
€200m-€300m
30
Clubs with annual revenues of €100m+ 22 6
€150m-€200m 28 24 29
30
7 8 23 16
25 12 11
€100m-€150m 13 27
18
4
5

10 14
19

21
1 2 17
In total there are now a record 46 clubs in Europe with revenues in 26
excess of €100m.
This top 30 represents not just Europe’s but the world’s largest
football clubs by revenue. Football might be a global game, but the
map highlights the geographical concentration of that wealth.
Only one club (SS Lazio) joined the top 30 in 2015, after the
upgraded TV deal in England added eight clubs the previous year.

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Year-on-year
Rank Club Country FY15 Growth rate
growth

1 Real Madrid CF ESP €578m €28m 5%

2 FC Barcelona ESP €561m €76m 16%
3 Manchester United FC ENG €521m €1m 0%
4 Paris Saint-Germain FC FRA €484m €10m 2%
5 FC Bayern München GER €474m -€12m -2%
6 Manchester City FC ENG €461m €45m 11%
7 Arsenal FC ENG €449m €89m 25% Clubs 1-9
8 Chelsea FC ENG €413m €30m 8%
9 Liverpool FC ENG €388m €83m 27%
10 Juventus ITA €325m €45m 16% 1.5x
11 Borussia Dortmund GER €281m €19m 7% €m FY2015 revenue
12 Tottenham Hotspur FC ENG €258m €42m 19%
13 FC Schalke 04 GER €219m €3m 1% €m FY2014 revenue
14 AC Milan ITA €217m -€4m -2%
Clubs 9-13
15 FC Zenit St. Petersburg RUS €196m €29m 17%
16 VfL Wolfsburg GER €191m €26m 16%
1.8x
17 AS Roma ITA €181m €53m 41%
18 Bayer 04 Leverkusen GER €176m €14m 9% Clubs 13-30
19 FC Internazionale Milano ITA €172m €5m 3%
20 Newcastle United FC ENG €170m €15m 10%
21 Club Atlético de Madrid ESP €165m -€5m -3% 1.6x
22 Everton FC ENG €164m €20m 14%
23 West Ham United FC ENG €160m €21m 15%
24 Aston Villa FC ENG €151m €11m 8%
25 Southampton FC ENG €150m €20m 15%
26 Galatasaray SK TUR €148m €47m 47% The top 30 clubs generated over €8.2bn in revenues in Last year’s report highlighted the two-speed growth in the last five
27 VfL Borussia Mönchengladbac GER €147m €32m 28%
FY2015, representing 49% of European top-division years of club commercial revenues and the widening financial gap
28 Swansea City FC ENG €137m €20m 17%
29 Leicester City FC ENG €136m €99m 266%
club revenues. Of these 30 clubs, 27 reported an between the ‘global super powers’ and other large clubs. While
30 Sunderland AFC ENG €134m €8m 7% increase in revenue in FY2015 and the 12% average increases in the revenues and spending power of clubs 13 to 30 are
1-30 Average €274m €29m growth rate almost matches the 14% growth seen in relatively gradual (1.6x), there is a much steeper relative increase
1-30 Aggregate €8,206m €867m 12% FY2014. between clubs 9 to 13, FC Schalke 04 to Liverpool FC (1.8x).

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CHAPTER 8: Club revenues

European club revenues by type

Club revenues in euros increased by 6.3% between FY2014 and FY2015,
following a 5.7% increase the previous year.
Two growth rates are used in this report.
The ‘euro currency trend’ allows for the
best comparison of relative Underlying ‘other’ revenues decreased by 4% in
Value of
competitiveness between leagues and FY2015, with lower donations in France and a drop in
revenue stream
clubs, while the domestic currency trend one-off revenues in Spain.
provides the underlying trend for each Euro
country or club. currency
trend Underlying revenue from gate receipts increased by
3% in FY2015, finally moving above the previous
Underlying domestic broadcast revenue
record of 2010 after five years of contracted and static
increased by a steady 5% in FY2015
revenues. Increases in Spain (€51m) and Turkey
following a massive 17% increase in
(€26m) outweighed the decrease at English clubs
FY2014, generated by the English Domestic
(€34m) in FY2015.
Premier League’s new TV cycle. currency
trend
Broadcast revenue growth in FY2015 Share of total Revenue does not include transfer sales, which are
came primarily from the first year of revenue reflected separately in club accounts as profits on sale
new rights cycles in Italy (€73m/+8%) of assets. However, to provide some context, €3.4bn in
and Turkey (€73m/+26%), combined gross sales income from transfers was reported,
with incremental mid-cycle increases in Domestic broadcasting Sponsorship Gate receipts equivalent to 20% of total revenues. Transfer sales
Germany (€71m/+12%) and England Revenue from UEFA Commercial Other revenue income was up 22% on FY2014, reflecting the active
(€54m/+3%). nature of the FY2015 transfer market.

Revenue from UEFA increased significantly (+20%) in FY2015, with the first
Underlying club sponsorship revenues increased by Underlying commercial revenues increased by a notable 11%
partial recognition of the upgraded TV deal in the accounts of clubs with a
5% in FY2015, following a 6% increase in FY2014. in FY2015, following an 8% increase in FY2014. Commercial
December year end. In total, clubs saw a €240m increase on the previous
Once again, sponsorship growth in FY2015 was revenue growth is again concentrated among the largest
financial year. A further significant increase of around €200m is expected in
concentrated at the top, with more than 75% of ‘global’ clubs, although at league level double-digit increases
FY2016. UEFA payments represented 9% of all clubs’ revenue and 14% for
increased revenues accruing to the 15 largest clubs. were reported in France, Germany, Spain and Turkey.
those participating in UEFA competitions.

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Overview of major broadcast deals*

The table below provides a high level overview of estimated broadcast rights fees paid for the six largest The broadcast revenue of the Premier league clubs is impacted by currency
domestic leagues by rights value and their expected future evolution. Over the next three financial periods (FY16 fluctuations with their main rivals domestic rights in Euro’s. The future
value of the £ sterling (domestic rights) and US$ (international rights)
to FY18) Premier League clubs can anticipate roughly an extra €1,000m, Spanish clubs €850-900m, Bundesliga compared to the Euro will therefore impact relative competitiveness.
clubs €500-550m and Serie A and Ligue 1 clubs between €200-250m.
2009/10 to 2017/18 Start/End
Country Property Rights in €'m 08 09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 Growth Rate** Rate**

Premier
Total per year 1,217 1,219 1,367 1,437 2,092 2,522 2,571 3,339 3,515 3,691 2,298 14%
ENG Domestic cycle 2,431 2,393 (-2%/+1% €/£) 4,269 (+78%/+69% €/£) 6,408 (+50%/+57% €/£) 13%
League
International cycle 907 1,629 (+80%/+85% €/£) 2,916 (+79%/+69% €/£) 4,136 (+42%/+49% €/£) 21%
Total per year 660 667 704 773 772 823 1,264 1,614 1,696 1,036 13%
ESP La Liga Domestic cycle* 498 522 530 561 559 546 657 2650 (+50%) 7%
International cycle 481 703 (+46%) 1,918 (+173%) 32%
Total per year 844 935 967 951 997 1,070 1,189 1,252 1,315 471 6%
ITA Serie A Domestic cycle 2,475 2,649 (+7%) 3,201 (+21%) 5%
International cycle 270 369 (+37%) 554 (+50%) 15%
Total per year 448 439 466 481 628 705 830 840 1,227 779 13%
GER Bundesliga Domestic cycle 1,619 2,501 (+55%) 4,600 (+84%) 16%
International cycle 146 227 (+55%) 502 (+111%) 28%
Total per year 666 697 734 653 653 620 621 728 765 852 98 2%
FRA Ligue 1 Domestic cycle 2,652 2,428 (-8%) 2,994 (+20%) 2%
International cycle 59 84 (+44%) 104 (+24%) 270 (+160%) 21%

TUR Süper Lig

Total per year 114 234 228 225 193 333 320 293 484 511 370 20%
Domestic cycle 648 880 (+104%/+167% €/TL) 946 (+43%/+89% €/TL) 2,688 (+71%/+93% €/TL)

The ‘total per year’ for 2014/15 is an approximate match for the broadcast revenue reported by clubs on the preceding pages. The following factors
mean the amounts are an approximate rather than a direct match: the table above includes only league rights while club broadcast revenue includes
any broadcast revenue from cup and friendly matches; the table above is the total reported or estimated deal value before any payments to the
second league or relegated clubs or solidarity distributions; the table above is presented by sporting season while broadcast revenue for some
German and Italian clubs with December financial year ends covers part of the broadcast revenue from two seasons.

* The figures in the table above should be considered benchmarking estimates only based on some figures communicated by the leagues, a forecast fixed exchange rate of £1.20:€1 and in come cases a consensus estimate from Sportcal, sporting intelligence and UEFA. ** 'Rate' refers to the
compound average annual growth rate between 2009/10 and 2017/18 for the total annual rights figure and between the end of the first and last cycles in the table for the domestic and international rights.

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Broadcast revenue levels and trends

The top 20 markets
The top 20 leagues by club average broadcast revenue
For the first time in history, average domestic broadcast revenues in England exceeded €100m per
Percentage of total Ranking by Underlying
Aggregate Club average (€m) club in FY2015, comfortably more than double the Italian and triple the Spanish and German
revenue club average growth*
average. There are only 23 non-English clubs in the world that have total revenue greater than the
+3% €2,160m €108m average of England’s top-tier clubs.
€953m As a percentage of overall revenue, Italian clubs remain reliant on broadcast revenue, which
+8%
generates half their total revenues, while English clubs (49%) and Turkish clubs (46%) are only slightly
-1% €734m less reliant on this revenue stream. Russian and Swiss clubs respectively derived just 5% and 6% of
their total revenues from broadcasting.
+12% €649m
-2% €499m
+29% €298m Outside the top 20 markets

+10% €102m While broadcast revenues feature as the largest revenue stream for many of the larger markets, they
+11% €66m contribute less than 5% of revenue to most European leagues (32 out of 54). Outside the top 20,
broadcast revenue is also of relevance to Czech clubs (10%) and Israeli clubs (9%), with Icelandic,
+7% €70m Bulgarian and Hungarian clubs deriving 5% of total revenue from broadcasting.
-2% €30m
+143% €39m Notable changes
-4% €34m
The 10% translation effect from the appreciating British pound means that Premier League club
+1% €24m broadcast revenue increased by €240m between FY2014 and FY2015, although the underlying
increase in local currency terms was closer to €50m. Elsewhere, the first year of the current Italian TV
+4% €26m deal lifted Italian clubs’ broadcast revenue by €73m and the second year of the current Bundesliga
+4% €15m deal saw German clubs report a significant €72m uplift, with German TV deals typically increasing
throughout each deal rather than jumping from the last year of one cycle to the first year of the next.
-18% €17m Turkish clubs also benefitted from a €75m increase in the first year of their current TV deal,
+9% €22m equivalent to a 17% increase in local currency terms. Finally, Russian clubs saw a long awaited
increase of €16m with a new TV deal starting in the second half of the year. Elsewhere clubs in
+2% €12m Sweden, Scotland and Hungary reported small decreases.
-6% €16m
* The 9 to 11% increase in the value of the British pound between FY2014 and FY2015 and the 28% and 36% decreases in the value of the Russian rouble and the Ukrainian hryvnia
-4% €10m influence the growth rates and relative competitiveness of the clubs from those countries. The domestic currency trend, sometimes referred to as the ‘underlying growth
percentage’, neutralises any year-on-year currency fluctuations, providing the underlying trend for each country. This is also included in all top 20 league tables in this section.

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Top 20 clubs by broadcast revenues

Midway through the Premier League’s 2013-16 TV deal, English clubs have assumed 17 of the top 20 places in the broadcast revenues table. TV rights are concluded in advance, so we know that from FY2017 English clubs’ TV
revenue will increase further by approximately 70%. Nonetheless, the two Spanish giants are the top earners for now, benefitting from a distribution model that means they received 3.8 to 3.9 times the Spanish club average.
Juventus, the only other team featuring in the top 20 clubs by broadcast revenue, received 2.2 times the Serie A average. English Premier League distributions are partly determined by performance and how many times a team
is selected for TV coverage, which leads to some year-on-year changes. English clubs’ relatively high overall year-on-year growth rates are also more pronounced when converted from British pounds to euros.

Year-on-year % of total Multiple of the

Rank Club Country FY15
growth revenue league average

1 FC Barcelona ESP €142m 2% 25% 3.9 x

2 Real Madrid CF ESP €141m -1% 24% 3.8 x
3 Manchester United FC ENG €139m 20% 27% 1.3 x
4 Chelsea FC ENG €137m 15% 33% 1.3 x
5 Manchester City FC ENG €134m 10% 29% 1.2 x
6 Liverpool FC ENG €128m 6% 33% 1.2 x
7 Arsenal FC ENG €128m 13% 29% 1.2 x
8 Tottenham Hotspur FC ENG €119m 11% 46% 1.1 x
9 Swansea City FC ENG €112m 22% 82% 1.0 x
10 Southampton FC ENG €111m 16% 74% 1.0 x
11 Juventus ITA €107m 5% 33% 2.2 x
12 Everton FC ENG €106m 1% 65% 1.0 x €m FY2015 broadcast revenue from domestic
football
13 Crystal Palace FC ENG €105m 18% 80% 1.0 x
14 West Ham United FC ENG €103m 14% 65% 1.0 x % FY2015 broadcast revenue as a percentage of
15 Newcastle United FC ENG €101m 8% 60% 0.9 x total revenue
16 West Bromwich Albion FC ENG €101m 22% 80% 0.9 x
17 Stoke City FC ENG €101m 11% 78% 0.9 x
18 Leicester City FC ENG €94m 1677% 69% 0.9 x
19 Aston Villa FC ENG €93m 7% 62% 0.9 x
20 Sunderland AFC ENG €92m 6% 68% 0.8 x
1-20 Average €115m 53% 1.4 x
1-20 Aggregate €2,294m 15% 41%

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CHAPTER 8: Club revenues

Revenue from UEFA

The top 20 markets
The top 20 leagues by average club revenue received from UEFA
Percentage of total Ranking by Underlying The amount of UEFA prize money a club receives is determined in part by its sporting performance and
Aggregate Club average (€m)
revenue* club average growth in part by its national broadcaster’s contribution to the market pool. UEFA competition rights, prize
-2% €210m money and solidarity payments to non-competing teams operate on a three-year cycle, with FY2015
marking the end of the 2012/13-2014/15 cycle for most of the large western European clubs with
+66% €208m summer financial year ends and the start of the new 2015/16-2017/18 cycle for clubs with December
financial year ends. UEFA distributions totalled just over €1.5bn in clubs’ FY2015 figures, an increase of
+4% €167m
€240m on the previous year, with the largest increases reported by Italian, French and Portuguese clubs
-6% €179m (performance-based increase in prize money) and eastern European clubs (new cycle increases).

+38% €132m Outside the top 20 markets

+146% €81m In the top 20 markets, the significance of the UEFA contribution ranged from 4% of total club revenue in England to more
than 45% in Belarus and Croatia. Outside the top 20 leagues, UEFA competition revenues tend to represent a greater
+64% €77m proportion of overall revenues for clubs in many less wealthy leagues. In relative terms, the qualifying round ‘solidarity
+165% €54m payments’, which in the new cycle range from €200,000 for the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League to
€400,000 for the third qualifying round in the UEFA Champions League, can form a greater proportion of smaller clubs’
+1% €37m total revenues than the many tens of millions in Champions League group stage bonuses received by the larger clubs. The
best example of this in FY2015 was the fact that more than 50% of total club revenues in Gibraltar and Andorra were
+230% €30m
from UEFA despite no club going past the second qualifying round of either the Champions League or the Europa League.
+164% €20m Future trends
-30% €19m UEFA prize money has increased by approximately 35% under the new 2015/16-2017/18 cycle, with around 40% of that increase
-6% €34m already reflected in FY2015.** Clubs around Europe have different policies on when to register their UEFA revenues, but
generally this uplift will be first reflected in the FY2016 figures of clubs with a summer year end (i.e. English, French, Spanish and
+923% €22m most German and Italian clubs) and it is already partly reflected in the FY2015 figures of clubs with a December year end (most
clubs in eastern Europe, a minority of German and Italian clubs and all clubs with summer seasons). In FY2016, Spain had five
+12% €33m clubs in the UEFA Champions League group stage and again performed well in both competitions, so we expect this
+17% €28m performance-related prize money to keep them above their English and Italian rivals despite large increases in the market pool
distributions to clubs from those countries (based on the rights paid into the market pool by English and Italian broadcasters).
+26% €24m
* The average club revenue and percentage of total revenue figures cover all the teams in the league rather than just the four to seven teams participating in UEFA competitions
-6% €10m during their financial year under review. This is consistent with the other revenue stream analyses but differs from the approach used in the previous report. The aggregate revenue
from UEFA includes all direct revenues, including prize money, solidarity payments for clubs competing in qualifying matches and in most cases also solidarity payments for non-
-60% €9m participating clubs distributed through their respective leagues. Indirect revenues, i.e. sponsor and commercial partner bonuses and gate receipts, are reported elsewhere. ** The
increase in UEFA prize money is reported as ‘approximately 35%’ because final revenues often exceed the prize money allocated in advance. For example, there was a €83m surplus
-58% €10m from the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League. Any such surplus is also distributed among clubs when the final amounts are known. The estimated increase from 2014/15 (including the
surplus) to 2015/16 is €450m (33%), plus any additional revenues that create a surplus.

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Top 20 clubs by revenue from UEFA

Comparisons
Revenue Domestic TV Ratio UEFA Revenue
Sporting % of FY15
Rank Club Country from UEFA revenue to domestic from UEFA
performance revenue
FY15* FY15 TV FY14
1 Juventus ITA €92m UCL Final 28% €107m 0.9x €52m
2 FC Barcelona ESP €59m UCL SF 10% €142m 0.4x €44m
3 Real Madrid CF ESP €54m UCL SF 9% €141m 0.4x €63m
4 Paris Saint-Germain FC FRA €54m UCL QF 11% €53m 1.0x €36m
5 AS Monaco FC FRA €53m UCL QF 45% €27m 1.9x €0m
6 FC Bayern München GER €48m UCL SF 10% €58m 0.8x €53m
7 Club Atlético de Madrid ESP €44m UCL QF 27% €42m 1.1x €51m
8 AS Roma ITA €43m UCL GS/ UEL R16 24% €71m 0.6x €0m
9 Manchester City FC ENG €43m UCL R16 9% €134m 0.3x €37m
10 Chelsea FC ENG €39m UCL R16 9% €137m 0.3x €48m
11 FC Porto POR €36m UCL QF 39% €17m 2.1x €10m €m FY2015 UEFA revenue
12 FC Zenit St. Petersburg RUS €35m UCL GS 18% €5m 7.1x €19m
13 Arsenal FC ENG €35m UCL R16 8% €128m 0.3x €30m €m FY2015 domestic TV revenue
14 Bayer 04 Leverkusen GER €33m UCL R16 19% €52m 0.6x €28m
15 Borussia Dortmund GER €33m UCL R16 12% €50m 0.7x €36m
16 Liverpool FC ENG €32m UCL GS/ UEL R32 8% €128m 0.3x €0m
17 Olympiacos FC GRE €27m UCL GS 51% €6m 4.4x €29m
18 FC Shakhtar Donetsk UKR €24m UCL R16 47% €1m 17.0x €21m
19 FC BATE Borisov BLR €24m UCL GS 91% €0m >100x €8m
20 VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach GER €24m UEL R32/ UCL GS 16% €43m 0.6x €5m
1-20 Average €42m €67m €28m
1-20 Aggregate €833m 15% €1,342m 0.6x €570m

2014/15 UEFA Champions League finalists Juventus comfortably topped the UEFA revenue listings for FY2015, benefiting from the largest-ever market pool distributions and their on-pitch
success. Not surprisingly, the top 20 clubs by UEFA revenue all featured in the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League group stage, with 14 having made it into the knockout stage.
TV revenue from domestic football has been included in the chart to illustrate the relative importance of TV revenue from UEFA and domestic competitions for each club. While UEFA
revenue was equivalent to 0.3x domestic TV revenue for the four English clubs in the top 20 and 0.4x for the two largest Spanish clubs, the ratio was 0.6 to 0.8x for the German clubs and
more than 1.0x for seven other clubs. A comparison with FY2014 UEFA revenue has also been included in the table to illustrate how this revenue stream, influenced by sporting success
both domestically (to qualify) and in UEFA competitions, fluctuates more than the clubs’ other revenue streams.
Across this top 20, on average UEFA revenue represented 15% of total revenue, ranging from 8% for Arsenal FC and Liverpool FC to more than 90% for FC BATE Borisov.
* The timing of payments and accounting recognition policies means that the prize money published by UEFA for 2014/15 will not exactly match the value reported in the clubs’ financial statements. For clubs with a summer financial year end the amounts are usually close, with just the final market
pool uplift typically recorded the following year, while for clubs with a December year end (typically 10 to 12 clubs in the UEFA Champions League group stage and 14 to 16 in the UEFA Europa League group stage) the reported prize money is a combination of the 2014/15 and 2015/16 seasons.

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CHAPTER 8: Club revenues

Gate receipt levels and trends

The top 20 leagues by club average gate receipts

Percentage of total Ranking by Underlying

revenue club average growth
Aggregate Club average (€m) The top 20 markets

-5% €718m English Premier League clubs averaged €35.9m in gate receipts in FY2015, or €9.5m more per club than in
the German Bundesliga, whose clubs were comfortably the second highest earners, ahead of Spain. To
+0% €475m put the success of these clubs in perspective, the 20 English, 18 German and 2 largest Spanish clubs are
+7% €419m responsible for 55% of all top-division gate receipts. Gate receipts contributed the highest proportion of
total revenue once again in Scotland (37%) and Switzerland (34%), with Russia at the other end of the
+6% €204m scale (4%). Gate receipts remain a small percentage of the pie in a number of the world’s best-known
leagues, with Italian, French, Turkish and Portuguese clubs generating just 11-12% of total revenue from
+6% €168m their gate receipts.
-15% €71m Outside the top 20 markets
+3% €96m Gate receipts generate less than 10% of total revenues across many leagues outside the top 20 markets.
However, they are a noticeably significant part of the revenue mix in certain countries, such as the
+7% €74m Republic of Ireland (31%), Northern Ireland (18%) and Finland (17%).
+48% €79m
Notable changes
-11% €50m While club revenues from sponsorship, commercial rights and both UEFA and domestic TV rights have
+43% €42m carried on climbing despite the challenging European economic climate, gate receipts paint a different
picture. Gate receipts have decreased as a percentage of the overall revenue mix in every one of the top
+8% €42m 20 markets in the last five years.
+18% €32m In absolute terms, gate receipts in FY2015 finally climbed back above their 2010 and 2011 levels, with
clubs setting a new record in FY2015, €40m above the previous record. Gate receipt trends over this
+54% €31m period have, however, tended to reflect national economic trends, with German, Swiss and Swedish clubs
-22% €19m increasing their gate receipts by more than 20%, while those in Turkey (8%), Spain (19%), Portugal (24%),
Ukraine (43%) and Greece (72%) remain significantly below the 2009/10 peak.
+8% €18m In local currency terms, gate receipts increased dramatically in Sweden (43%), Turkey (48%) and Russia
-1% €19m (54%), with notable year-on-year growth also seen in Poland (20%) and Norway (18%).

+20% €16m
-20% €9m
-21% €8m

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Top 20 clubs by gate receipts

Multiple of Estimated
Year-on-year % of total
Rank Club Country FY15 the league receipts per
growth revenue
average match
1 Real Madrid CF ESP €131m 8% 23% 6.0 x €4.9m
2 Arsenal FC ENG €131m 9% 29% 3.6 x €4.8m
3 FC Barcelona ESP €121m 3% 21% 5.5 x €4.2m
4 FC Bayern München GER €109m 0% 23% 4.1 x €4.4m
5 Manchester United FC ENG €107m -10% 21% 3.0 x €5.1m
6 Chelsea FC ENG €85m 8% 21% 2.4 x €3.2m
7 Liverpool FC ENG €76m 27% 20% 2.1 x €2.7m
8 Manchester City FC ENG €56m 0% 12% 1.6 x €2.1m
9 Juventus ITA €48m 31% 18% 4.7 x €1.7m
€m FY2015 gate receipt revenue
10 Paris Saint-Germain FC FRA €42m -9% 11% 5.0 x €1.5m
11 Hamburger SV GER €41m -10% 33% 1.5 x €2.3m €m FY2015 gate receipts per home match*
12 Borussia Dortmund GER €40m -1% 16% 1.5 x €1.8m
13 Club Atlético de Madrid ESP €38m 12% 35% 1.7 x €1.4m
14 Tottenham Hotspur FC ENG €37m 4% 21% 1.0 x €1.2m
15 AS Roma ITA €35m 48% 28% 3.4 x €1.3m
16 Newcastle United FC ENG €34m 9% 29% 1.0 x €1.8m
17 FC Schalke 04 GER €33m -4% 16% 1.3 x €1.5m
18 VfB Stuttgart GER €33m 2% 29% 1.2 x €1.7m
19 Galatasaray SK TUR €33m 204% 23% 7.4 x €1.3m
20 Eintracht Frankfurt GER €32m -12% 37% 1.2 x €1.9m
1-20 Average €63m 23% 3.0 x €2.5m Stadium
51,900 52,652 60,469 62,271 52,354 70,634 36,284 54,960 81,360 57,000 48,583 41,507 55,097 54,074 41,663 75,643 75,000 99,354 60,432 99,454
1-20 Aggregate €1,262m 6% 20% capacity

The top 20 comprises seven English clubs, five German clubs, four Spanish clubs and four clubs from elsewhere. Together, these 20 clubs generated just under €1,262m in gate receipts in FY2015, or 48% of all European top-
division gate receipts.
Five clubs, all with 60,000+ stadium capacities, again generated more than €100m from gate receipts in FY2015, at an average of between €4.2m and €5.1m per home match. Clubs’ abilities to generate revenue from gate
receipts differ noticeably, with the fifth highest-earner generating twice as much as the club in ninth place. Most of the clubs in the top 20 operate at or near to full capacity and this limits their potential for year-on-year
growth to price increases. However, after growth of just 1% in FY2014, there was a significant 6% increase in FY2015 boosted by a large recovery in Galatasaray SK attendances and higher gate receipts at Liverpool FC, partly as
a result of them playing more cup matches. Gate receipts represented 24% of the total revenue of these top 20 clubs, on average, and made the highest contribution at Eintracht Frankfurt (37%), Hamburger SV (33%) and Club
Atlético Madrid (35%).
Stadium development projects (new builds and upgrades) at Club Atlético de Madrid, Beşiktaş JK, FC Dinamo Moskva, Olympique Lyonnais, Chelsea FC, Liverpool FC, FC Zenit and Tottenham Hotspur FC should lead to
additional revenue growth, some movement in the rankings and a potential narrowing of the gap beneath the top five in the years to come.
* Gate receipts per match are calculated by dividing the total gate receipt revenue by the number of official competitive domestic league and cup matches and UEFA matches hosted during the financial year. This may in some cases lead to a slight overestimate of revenue per match if clubs also
generated gate receipts from non-official friendly matches.

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CHAPTER 8: Club revenues

Sponsorship and commercial revenue levels and trends

The top 20 leagues by club average sponsorship

Percentage of total Ranking by Underlying

Aggregate Club average (€m)
revenue club average growth
+9% €1,296m
+6% €1,003m The top 20 markets

+20% €562m
Sponsorship and commercial revenues continue to grow at the top. In euro equivalent
+2% €545m
terms, the English club average of €64.8m in sponsorship and commercial revenues is 2.3
+24% €427m times the Spanish and French club average and 3.4 times the Italian club average.

-3% €386m
+1% €226m Outside the top 20 markets

+24% €211m Outside the top 20, where broadcast revenues are much lower, many clubs rely heavily on
0% €79m sponsorship and commercial deals, both with third parties and with related parties. Clubs in
Czech Republic, FYR Macedonia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Slovakia averaged over half
-25% €66m their revenues from sponsorship and commercial partnerships in FY2015.
+7% €71m
+5% €92m
Notable changes
+3% €75m
-1% €52m English clubs overtook German clubs in earning the highest average revenue from sponsorship and
+18% €68m commercial deals in FY2014. The gap increased in FY2015, with stronger growth of 9% v 6% and a 10%
appreciation of the British pound, meaning the difference is now 16% or €9.1m per club. Once again,
-14% €63m six English and five German clubs feature in the top 20 for commercial and sponsorship revenues.
-22% €43m Analysing sponsorship and commercial growth by league provides some interesting context, but it
does not completely reveal the two-speed impact that the increasingly globalised market for
+2% €47m European football is having on commercial revenues. To do this we need to rank clubs from largest to
-32% €26m smallest, irrespective of nationality, as we do in the next analysis.

+93% €31m

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Relative sponsorship and commercial revenue growth

Six-year growth in sponsorship and commercial
revenues (FY2009-FY2015, top 100 clubs)
The top 15 clubs in this analysis have added a remarkable €1,514m in
The number of clubs generating more than €100m in sponsorship and sponsorship and commercial revenues in the last six years (148% increase),
commercial revenue has leaped from 3 in FY2009 to 13 in FY2015. While compared with the €453m added by the rest of Europe’s 700 or so top-division
the highest TV income in FY2015 was €142m, five clubs earned more than clubs (17% increase). There is no single factor that explains the growing
€200m from sponsorships and commercial partnerships. disparity in the revenue and buying power of the ‘global super clubs’ compared
with the rest of Europe.

Sponsorship and commercial revenue growth, FY2009-FY2015 By contrast, revenue growth from all other sources, including TV, revenue from
UEFA, gate receipts and other income, has grown at a similar rate for the top 15
Sponsorship and commercial revenues FY2009 (base year)
clubs (45%) and the rest of Europe’s 700 or so top-division clubs (37%).

A decade ago, sponsorship and commercial revenues were concentrated on shirt sponsorship and kit
manufacturer deals, some merchandising and a small number of local sponsorship deals.
For the vast majority of clubs this remains the case, but for the dozen or so ‘global super clubs’, sponsorship and
commercial departments are expanding and sponsorship and commercial partnerships are being sliced and
segmented into an ever larger and more lucrative number of deals. This is enabling those ‘global super clubs’ to
monetise their huge supporter bases, which extend around the globe and which can be accessed far better
through social media than was ever possible through traditional marketing in the past.
These supporter bases are growing inexorably, powered by star players, overseas tours and regular participation
in the UEFA Champions League group stage.

1 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Clubs ranked from 1 to 100 by
sponsorship and commercial revenue

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CHAPTER 8: Club revenues

Transfer proceeds level and trends Transfer proceeds reflect the value of all outward transfer activity during FY2015.* This is not
The top 20 leagues by club average transfer proceeds included in revenue but the percentage of revenue is presented as a benchmark highlighting the
relevant scale and importance of transfer proceeds for clubs in different leagues. Transfer proceeds
Percentage of total Ranking by Underlying
revenue club average growth
Aggregate Club average (€m) are indirectly included below the revenue line in the transfer activity result as part of the calculation
+5% €694m of profit and loss on the sale of player registrations. This is analysed and explained in detail later in
the report.
+27% €650m
The top 20 markets
+16% €497m
+54% €325m The relative size and importance of transfer activity in clubs’ annual finances is highlighted by the table, with
Italian clubs on average generating €34.7m in transfer proceeds in FY2015, equivalent to 36% of their total
+41% €258m revenues.
+41% €261m The size of transfer fees relative to revenue is significantly higher for Portuguese clubs (75%), Croatian clubs
(85%) and Serbian clubs (82%), whose business models are typically based on developing and exporting talent.
+17% €135m
+190% €86m Outside the top 20 markets

+295% €53m
+11% €70m Transfer market activity is also an important part of the business models of clubs outside the top 20, with
transfer fees, solidarity contributions and training compensation together accounting for more than 30% of club
-11% €65m revenue in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Latvia in FY2015.
-38% €37m
+69% €37m Notable changes
+15% €40m
The distribution and relative scale of transfer proceeds fluctuates considerably from year to year as transfer
-7% €32m proceeds are, by nature, a combination of one-off discrete transfer events. With 76% of transfer proceeds
-23% €19m reported by clubs with summer financial year ends, which occur just before the main summer transfer window
opens, there is a delay between observed transfer activity and transfer activity reported in financial statements.
-5% €18m As an example, the majority of FY2015 proceeds reflect activity in the summer 2014 transfer window. Having
observed the summer 2015 and 2016 transfer activity, we can confidently predict that English and Spanish clubs
+11% €23m will return to the top of the list of average club transfer proceeds in FY2016 and the German figure will again
+7% €22m increase significantly.

-8% €18m
* Transfer proceeds for FY2015 have been extracted from the detailed notes to the audited financial statements of 700+ top-division clubs. Transfer proceeds include guaranteed future transfer proceeds and proceeds received during the year on transfers concluded within the last 12 months,
transfer receipts from conditional clauses on past transfers triggered during the period, and any solidarity, training compensation or negotiated sell-on clauses triggered during the period. In most cases it also includes any loan fees received for players loaned out during the period in question.

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Top 20 clubs by transfer proceeds

FY15 Proceeds FY15 FY15 FY15 FY15
Rank Club Country transfer relative to proceeds: proceeds: +/- transfer net transfer
proceeds revenue original cost mark-up spend proceeds
1 Real Madrid CF ESP €111m 19% €94m €17m €186m -€75m
2 Liverpool FC ENG €104m 27% €76m €28m €179m -€75m
3 FC Porto POR €100m 107% €51m €49m €53m €47m
4 Club Atlético de Madrid ESP €92m 56% €88m €5m €119m -€26m
€m FY2015 transfer proceeds
5 Chelsea FC ENG €91m 22% €132m -€42m €123m -€32m
6 SL Benfica POR €89m 88% €66m €24m €50m €40m
7 AS Monaco FC FRA €88m 75% €54m €34m €45m €44m
€m Original player transfer costs
8 Genoa CFC ITA €87m 135% €63m €24m €19m €69m
9 AS Roma ITA €79m 44% €60m €19m €137m -€58m
10 Southampton FC ENG €73m 49% €40m €33m €113m -€40m
11 Manchester City FC ENG €72m 16% €167m -€95m €128m -€56m
12 Udinese Calcio ITA €60m 134% €20m €40m €40m €21m
13 Bayer 04 Leverkusen GER €60m 34% €33m €26m €82m -€22m
14 Manchester United FC ENG €55m 10% €129m -€74m €198m -€144m
15 FC Schalke 04 GER €52m 24% €43m €9m €40m €12m
16 ACF Fiorentina ITA €51m 50% €58m -€7m €43m €9m
17 FC Barcelona ESP €51m 9% €49m €2m €160m -€109m
18 FC Shakhtar Donetsk UKR €51m 100% €15m €36m €1m €50m
19 FC Bayern München GER €50m 10% €14m €36m €73m -€23m
20 US Città di Palermo ITA €48m 91% €51m -€4m €17m €31m
1-20 Average €73m €65m €8m €90m -€17m
1-20 Aggregate €1,464m 30% €1,303m €162m €1,805m -€341m

Three clubs – Real Madrid CF, Liverpool FC and FC Porto – generated official transfer proceeds of more than €100m in FY2015.* The make-up of the top 20 transfer proceeds list is varied, with five English and Italian clubs and
three Spanish and German clubs. Unlike the main revenue categories, where the top 20 lists are relatively stable from year to year, transfer proceeds and spending fluctuate noticeably, with less than half of the top 20 sellers in
FY2014 also appearing in this year’s list. The importance of transfer activity in club finances is clearly evident when you compare transfer proceeds with revenues: four of the top 20 clubs received transfer proceeds equivalent to
more than their total revenue for the year.
While the average top 20 transfer proceeds were €73m, most clubs manage their squads carefully and high transfer proceeds are typically accompanied by transfer spending. Indeed, the top 20 clubs reported an average net
transfer spend of €17m. Eight of the top ten highest earners were also among the top ten highest spenders in FY2015. Comparing transfer proceeds with the original transfer spend on the players concerned, FC Porto generated
the highest mark-up by selling players for €49m more than they originally paid, followed by Udinese Calcio (+€40m), FC Shakhtar Donetsk and FC Bayern München (+€36m each). At the other end of the scale, there were a
number of clubs who sold players for a ‘mark-down’, with three English clubs standing out in FY2015: Manchester City FC (-€95m), Manchester United FC (-€74m) and Chelsea FC (-€42m).
* Transfer proceeds are gross income from player sales and loans during FY2015. We refer to this as the ‘official’ transfer proceeds figure as this is calculated from figures included in the audited financial statements rather than figures only covering part of the transfer market (FIFA TMS reports) or
estimates (all other reports or press figures). Comparisons of transfer proceeds against original transfer cost are available in the detailed notes to club financial statements.

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CHAPTER 8: Club revenues

Revenue mix in the top 20 leagues

The share of total revenue from each revenue stream is indicated in the charts below. This is effectively a summary
of the previous top 20 lists. For example, 49% of the English Premier League’s €4,406m came from broadcasting of
the domestic league and cups. Transfer proceeds have been added to the left of each league by way of context but
are not reported within revenues. For example, the English Premier League clubs’ €650m transfer proceeds in
FY2015 are not included as revenue but equate to 15% of total revenue.

Transfer proceeds as share of

Country Aggregate Aggregate revenue split
total revenue
€4,406m
€2,422m
€2,048m
€1,905m
€1,418m
€742m
€648m
€448m
75% €344m
€316m
€211m
€175m
€167m
€144m
€142m
€134m
€133m
€129m
€125m
€108m

Transfer proceeds Domestic broadcasting Revenue from UEFA Gate receipts Sponsorship/commercial Other revenue

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 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

Revenue mix outside the top 20 leagues

Revenue streams and transfer proceeds of the 18 leagues with
Revenue streams and transfer proceeds of the 16 leagues with
total club revenues between €10m and €100m
total club revenues of below €10m
Transfer proceeds as
Country Aggregate Aggregate revenue split
share of total revenue
Transfer proceeds as
€72m share of total revenue Country Aggregate Aggregate revenue split
€67m
€62m €9.8m
€58m €9.4m
€51m €8.1m
€46m €7.0m
85% €43m €6.3m
€42m €5.4m
€40m €5.2m
€27m €4.7m
82% €26m €4.5m
€24m €4.4m
€15m €4.2m
€13m €3.6m
€11m 60% €3.1m
€11m €2.1m
€10m €2.1m
€10m €1.5m

Transfer proceeds Domestic broadcasting Revenue from UEFA Gate receipts Sponsorship/commercial Other revenue

By contrast with most of the top 20 leagues, revenue from TV deals is limited for the middle-income leagues and Revenue from UEFA club competitions, on the other hand, is highly significant for clubs in most middle-
almost completely irrelevant for the lowest earners. Only clubs in Romania and Cyprus get more than 10% of their income and lower-earning leagues. For 44 clubs playing in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Champions
revenues from domestic competition TV revenue. League and UEFA Europa League, UEFA payments contributed more than all revenue sources put together.

‘Other’ revenues include numerous items but donations and grants are the most common. The relatively
Transfer proceeds relative to revenue were again the highest in Europe for Croatian clubs (85%) and Serbian clubs
high share of revenue coming from this stream underlines the precarious nature of club finances among
(82%). However, for many middle-income and lower-earning leagues, transfer proceeds are minimal.
many middle-income and lower-earning leagues.

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 9
CHAPTER

Wage and squad costs

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 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

Wage and squad cost highlights

Wages absorbed 63% of club revenue in 2015, up on last

year but below the level recorded in all previous years

Among the 20 highest paying leagues, only Germany, Norway

and Sweden have a wage to revenue ratio below 60%

For the first time on record, the wage bill of English Premier League clubs
was more than double the next highest paying league, Italy’s Serie A

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CHAPTER 9: Wage and squad costs

Club costs and long-term wage growth

Long-term evolution in total European
Breakdown of European club costs top-division club wages (€bn)

Wages are seven times higher

than 20 years ago
Average growth of 10.3% p.a.

Wages* represent 62% of the net costs of European While non-operating and net
Club wages have grown at an annual equivalent of more than
clubs, with other operating costs representing transfer costs made up just 6% of
10% over the last 20 years, compared with European
another 32%. With gains netted against losses, at European clubs’ total cost base in
economic growth of just 1.5% a year over the same period. Of
European level non-operating costs (one-off non- FY2015, there are cases where
the €14,036,000,000 increase in club revenue over the last
operating items, finance, tax and divestment) they have a significant impact on
two decades, 65% has been absorbed by wage increases.
represent 3.5% and net transfer costs just 2.6%. individual club results.
* For clarification, ‘wages’, ‘wage levels’ and ‘wage bills’ in this section of the report refer to all employee costs (including the club’s share of social taxes) and all employees (technical, administrative and players).

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Medium-term absolute and relative wage growth

Evolution in total revenue and wages Percentage of club revenue spent on wages
(percentage growth per year)

The last edition of this report highlighted the facts that wage growth had The wage to revenue ratio, widely recognised as one of the key financial
reached a record low and revenues had recently grown faster than indicators for football clubs, increased from 62.1% in FY2014 to 63.0% in
wages for the first time on record. To reiterate, the 4.3% wage growth in FY2015.* The ratio is still lower than before the introduction of financial
FY2013 and 3.2% growth in FY2014 were significantly below both the fair play but the increase is the main reason for the slight decrease in
FY2015 growth rate and the long-term average of more than 10%. club operating profits analysed later in this report. 80% of the €1bn
increase in revenues in FY2015 was absorbed by increased wages.
The FY2015 results indicate that wage growth picked up in FY2015 and
once again outstripped revenue growth. At 7.8%, wage growth has The remainder of this section sets out the sources and key drivers of this
reached its fastest rate since FY2010. wage growth.
* ‘Widely recognised’ within the business review section of the annual reports of all major football clubs and as a key ratio in all benchmarking studies.

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CHAPTER 9: Wage and squad costs

Wage growth across the top 20 leagues

The top 20 leagues by club average wages
Ranking by Underlying
Percentage of total revenue club average growth Aggregate Club average (€m)

+8% €2,690m
+10% €1,251m
+6% €1,309m
The top 20 markets
+11% €1,238m
For the first time on record, the total wage bill of the highest-paying league (English Premier League) was more than double
+0% €959m that of the next highest-paying league (Italy’s Serie A), with the strength of the British pound in 2015 just pushing the English
+31% €563m clubs over this line. The aggregate wage bills of the 20 Italian, 20 Spanish and 18 German top-division clubs continue to
converge and are within 5% of each other, with Germany third on aggregate wages but now second on average club wages.
+17% €520m
In local currency terms, all four of the leagues with wage bills of more than €1bn recorded a higher rate of wage inflation
-1% €272m than the previous year, with German and Spanish clubs recording double-digit wage growth.
-7% €141m Elsewhere, French, Russian and Turkish wage costs remain comfortably the fifth, sixth, and seventh highest respectively.*
When analysing year-on-year growth within each league, local currency growth is analysed. A number of leagues reported
+2% €198m high wage growth in local currency but decreases in euros. This is particularly true of Russia and Ukraine, whose top-tier
leagues have wage bills at least partly paid in euros or US dollars.
+6% €218m
Among the 20 highest paying leagues, German, Norwegian and Swedish clubs continue to have the lowest wage to revenue
-5% €96m ratios (between 50% and 52%). At the other end of the scale, a number of leagues reported an average ratio of between 70%
+40% €104m and 80%, with Turkish clubs spending on average 80% of all revenue on wages. Given that other, mainly fixed, operating costs
tend to absorb between 33% and 40% of revenues, a wage ratio of over 70% is likely to result in losses unless there is a
+27% €108m significant surplus from transfer activity. This is why it is included as a risk indicator in the UEFA Club Licensing and Financial
Fair Play Regulations.
+5% €92m
-8% €87m
+2% €89m
+11% €84m
-4% €73m
* This report concentrates on clubs from the top tier of each of the UEFA member associations, for which UEFA receives detailed financial information. All tables and charts are based on this
+5% €67m information. In 2015, based on third-party league benchmarking reports, the seventh highest club average wages in Europe were actually reported by clubs in the English second tier
(€29.6m). In addition, the second tier in Germany reported average wages per club of €13.8m, ranking this league 11th. The second tier in Italy would be 15th, with average wages of €8.5m
per club and the second tier in France would be ranked 20th (€7.2m per club). In aggregate wages, the third tier in England would be 15th (€141m), although once divided by the 24 clubs, the
average wages drops outside the top 20.

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Wage levels and trends outside the top 20 leagues

Leagues 21 to 35, ranked high to low by club average wages Leagues 36-54, ranked high to low by club average wages
Ranking by Underlying
Ranking by Underlying Percentage of total revenue
Percentage of total revenue Aggregate Club average (€m) club average growth Aggregate Club average (€m)
club average growth
+16% €8.5m
+21% €42m
+10% €6.7m
-2% €58m
+126% €5.2m
-13% €50m
+17% €6.9m
+7% €42m
+14% €3.3m
-22% €24m
+11% €5.7m
-22% €22m
+16% €3.4m
+31% €30m
+72% €3.2m
-12% €33m
+1% €3.8m
-5% €27m
-36% €3.1m
-10% €23m
+39% €3.2m
+24% €16m
-16% €3.0m
-8% €12m
+7% €2.8m
-3% €11m
-5% €2.3m
+12% €6m
-4% €1.5m
-4% €12m
+80% €1.0m
Across the 34 lower-wage leagues analysed on this page, only four – the top tiers in Croatia, Georgia, Israel and Serbia – reported +8% €0.9m
an aggregate wage ratio of above 80%, one of which was above 100%. This represents a dramatic and potentially significant
improvement on FY2014, when ten of these leagues reported ratios of more than 80% and four leagues more than 100%. In +22% €0.8m
addition, the high ratio in Croatia and Serbia is more than compensated for by repeated transfer profits. +13% €1.3m
There are probably numerous reasons for the improved balancing of revenues and wages, including a greater general acceptance
of the concept of ‘spending what you earn’. However, the significant increase in both UEFA solidarity and qualifying round
payments between FY2014 and FY2015 also appears to have played a prominent role in the year-on-year improvement.

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CHAPTER 9: Wage and squad costs

Top 20 club wage levels and trends

The top 20 clubs by wages
Year-on-year % of total Multiple of the
Rank Club Country FY15
growth revenue league average
1 FC Barcelona ESP €340m 37% 61% 5.5 x
2 Real Madrid CF ESP €289m 7% 50% 4.7 x
3 Chelsea FC ENG €284m 23% 69% 2.1 x
4 Manchester City FC ENG €276m 13% 60% 2.1 x
5 Manchester United FC ENG €266m 1% 51% 2.0 x
6 Paris Saint-Germain FC FRA €255m 9% 53% 5.3 x
7 Arsenal FC ENG €250m 26% 56% 1.9 x
8 FC Bayern München GER €236m 9% 50% 3.4 x
9 Liverpool FC ENG €216m 26% 56% 1.6 x
10 Juventus ITA €198m 8% 61% 3.0 x
11 AC Milan ITA €164m 1% 75% 2.5 x
12 Tottenham Hotspur FC ENG €141m 12% 55% 1.0 x
13 AS Roma ITA €137m 26% 75% 2.1 x
14 VfL Wolfsburg GER €120m 18% 63% 1.7 x
15 FC Internazionale Milano ITA €120m -1% 70% 1.8 x
16 Borussia Dortmund GER €118m 9% 42% 1.7 x FY2015 club wages
17 FC Zenit St. Petersburg RUS €113m -11% 58% 3.2 x
18 FC Schalke 04 GER €111m -3% 51% 1.6 x % FY2015 wage to revenue ratios
19 Swansea City FC ENG €110m 46% 80% 0.8 x
20 Aston Villa FC ENG €110m 32% 73% 0.8 x
1-20 Average €193m 60%
1-20 Aggregate €3,856m 14% 58% 2.4 x

A total of 24 clubs had wage bills in excess of €100m in FY2015, with 9 of those clubs exceeding €200m. The average wage increase among the top 20 was 14%, with
FC Barcelona, AS Roma and a number of English clubs increasing wages by more than 20% (due in part to success bonuses in the cases of FC Barcelona and AS Roma).
Of the 20 highest-paying clubs, 16 reported a comfortable wage to revenue ratio of less than 70%, and more than half of them a healthy ratio of less than 60%. The
number of clubs with a wage bill in excess of €100m has increased each year from just 10 clubs in FY2009 to 20 clubs in FY2015.

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Club wages within and between the top 20 leagues

Average and aggregate league comparisons provide some insight but have inherent limitations. The following cluster analysis groups clubs into the top four, clubs 5
to 8 and the remaining clubs in the league (between 8 and 12) according to each measure analysed and then compares the averages of these clusters by country. It
paints a revealing picture of the relative spending power of clubs within each league and between different leagues.

Average wage bills in Average wage bill in

€m in leagues 1-7 €m in leagues 8-20

A number of things stand out, not least The first clusters (top four clubs) The top group of Portuguese and Dutch clubs
the fact that the English Premier League’s include a wide range of spending have comparable wage bills, with a 50%+ gap The gap between the top two clusters is
TV deal enables the third cluster of clubs power within each country, between them and the top group of Belgian, revealing. The difference in spending
in England (clubs 9–20) to cover higher particularly in Spain and France. The Ukrainian and Swiss clubs. The top cluster in power in Portugal, Ukraine, Austria,
average wage bills (€86m) than clubs 5–8 very largest clubs are best compared the next group of leagues (Austrian, Greek, Greece, Kazakhstan and Scotland makes a
in Italy (€69m) and Germany (€74m), and club by club, as done in the ‘top 20’ Kazakh and Scottish) also have very similar league winner outside the top four
at least 75% more than the clubs 5–8 in tables throughout the report and the average wage bills, albeit with considerable extremely unlikely. The relative wage bill in
Spain (€49m), France (€47m) and Russia scatter chart at the end of this variation among the top four clubs in each of other leagues is clearly more balanced.
(€43m). section. these countries.

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CHAPTER 9: Wage and squad costs

Transfer cost of squads within and between the top 20 leagues

Wages are one part of the player cost base that clubs’ must absorb; the other is transfer fees, which may or may nor
be recovered later on if a player leaves. The squad costs below represent the average total transfer spending of the
clubs in each cluster.

Average squad costs in Average squad costs in

€m in leagues 1-7 €m in leagues 8-20

The largest Portuguese clubs stand out as The overlapping circles of clubs
The average squad costs of Spain’s second cluster are considerably
outliers with notably higher transfer 5-8 and 9+ indicate that
lower than the equivalent group in Italy and Germany, and the third
spending/investments than the top clubs in transfer spending is very
cluster of English clubs. It is also well below the first cluster of
the other leagues ranked 8-20. Indeed, the limited outside the biggest
Russian and Turkish clubs. This situation has been driven by changes
average squad cost of €86m is comparable to four clubs in each league.
to the regulatory environment, with a need for more well-balanced
that of the English Premier League’s third
finances, combined with successful youth development activities.
cluster and higher than that of clubs 5-8 in
The success of Spanish clubs in the UEFA Europa League (UEFA’s
Spain and Germany.
second-tier) in recent years is all the more impressive when this
relative spending power is taken into consideration.

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Relative squad cost and affordability

The top 50 clubs by squad spend*
There is a strong correlation between wages and transfer Squad ‘affordability’
fees (squad spend), as indicated by the dotted line. FC
Barcelona has a relatively high wage bill and low squad The ratio of squad spend to revenue, as indicated by the multiplier in the
spend. By contrast, Liverpool FC, Tottenham Hotspur FC, table below, can be considered a measure of ‘squad affordability’. The
FC Internazionale Milano and SSC Napoli had low wage majority of the top 20 clubs reported close to the average of 1.1. Two
bills relative to their squad costs. German clubs (FC Bayern München and Borussia Dortmund) have the most
affordable squads (squad costs 0.7-0.8 times revenue), with FC Internazionale
Milano, SSC Napoli and Sunderland AFC sporting the least affordable (1.4 or
1.5 times revenue).

Year-on-
Squad spend Multiple Squad
Rank Club Country year Wages
FY2015 of revenue cost
growth
1 Real Madrid CF ESP €650m 11% 1.1 x €721m €289m
2 Manchester United FC ENG €573m 12% 1.1 x €613m €266m
3 Chelsea FC ENG €552m 15% 1.3 x €537m €284m
4 Manchester City FC ENG €544m 7% 1.2 x €535m €276m
5 FC Barcelona ESP €541m 31% 1.0 x €401m €340m
6 Paris Saint-Germain FC FRA €473m 4% 1.0 x €437m €255m
7 Arsenal FC ENG €465m 34% 1.0 x €428m €250m
8 Liverpool FC ENG €423m 34% 1.1 x €412m €216m
9 FC Bayern München GER €397m 14% 0.8 x €322m €236m
10 Juventus ITA €354m 6% 1.1 x €312m €198m
11 AC Milan ITA €288m 12% 1.3 x €248m €164m
12 Tottenham Hotspur FC ENG €278m 11% 1.1 x €273m €141m
13 FC Internazionale Milano ITA €254m -11% 1.5 x €268m €120m
14 AS Roma ITA €231m 33% 1.3 x €190m €137m
15 Borussia Dortmund GER €202m 23% 0.7 x €168m €118m
16 FC Zenit St. Petersburg RUS €201m -19% 1.0 x €175m €113m
17 VfL Wolfsburg GER €196m 20% 1.0 x €152m €120m
18 Southampton FC ENG €193m 53% 1.3 x €176m €105m
19 SSC Napoli ITA €188m -5% 1.4 x €202m €87m
20 Sunderland AFC ENG €184m 33% 1.4 x €164m €102m
1-20 Average €359m €337m €191m
1-20 Aggregate €7,186m 14% 1.1 x €6,733m €3,819m

* ‘Squad spend’ is a UEFA benchmark measure of comparative spending. The UEFA benchmarking team has undertaken a large-scale study of the correlation between various measures (revenues, wages, transfer fees and combinations thereof) and sporting performance (season points and rank)
across 35 different European leagues and numerous seasons. The strongest single measure of domestic sporting success was the ‘squad spend’ measure included in the table above, whereby 50% of the squad cost (total accumulated transfer fees on players in the squad at year end) is added to the
annual wage bill.

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 10
CHAPTER

Transfer and other costs

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Transfer and other cost highlights

Gross transfer spending of European top-division clubs increased to a

record €4.4bn in 2015 but net transfer costs fell to just 2.6% of revenue

Clubs outside the top 20 leagues actually recorded a net transfer gain of 9% of
revenue, underlining the financial redistribution from top to bottom of transfers

Transfer spending is increasingly concentrated, with 81% by clubs in just

four leagues (in England, Germany, Italy and Spain)

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CHAPTER 10: Transfer and other costs

Explanation of transfer activity and club transfer profits/losses

Accounting for transfer activity is somewhat counterintuitive. When transfer spending is going up, the net cost from transfer
activity, and therefore also the level of aggregate club losses, is likely to go down. This is because of a timing difference: profits,
which increase if transfer activity goes up, are triggered immediately on sale, while costs, which also increase if transfer activity
goes up, are accounted for over the length of the players’ contracts (typically three to five years).

The impact of transfer activity on clubs’ reported profit and loss accounts is often significant. Profits and losses (usually profits) triggered by outward player transfers during the 12 month period are
combined with transfer income and costs from loans and with the transfer costs (amortisation and impairment) on players still at the club during the year. These transfer costs are based on the
original transfer fee, which is spread over the length of each player’s contract (typically three to five years). The best way to explain the complicated interaction between transfer activity and club
profits/losses is with a simplified example: a player signed on a five-year contract for €50m will create costs of €10m per year (amortisation). If he is transferred out after just two years, the new
transfer value (‘proceeds’ featured in the revenues section of this report) is compared with the value of the player in the books. In this example the player has a value in the books of €30m (original
€50m transfer fee less two years of amortisation at €10m). If the new transfer value is €60m, a ‘profit’ of €30m will be triggered (€60m fee minus the €30m value in the books).* On a European scale,
the combination of profits, losses, incomes and charges, which led to a combined net transfer cost of €445m in FY2015, is illustrated in the diagram below.**
Player amortisation
Profit on players sold
during FY2015 (2014)
during FY2015 (2014)
European top-division clubs, on the whole, tend to report a net transfer cost because they are on playing squad
net importers of talent from outside Europe and from lower leagues, and because transaction
(intermediary) costs are usually incurred during transfer activity. As a benchmark from the €2,519m
FY2012 report, which analysed a cross-section of 332 transfer deals, agent costs represented, (€2,277m)
Player impairment charge

on average, 12.6% of buying club transfer fees, which, if extrapolated to the gross transfer €2,337m FY2015 (2014)

spend of between €3.1bn and €4.4bn per year between FY2009 and FY2015, would represent (€1,873m) Net transfer €93m
€385 to €550m a year in intermediary costs over this period. costs FY2015 (€132m)
(FY2014)
€113m
€445m (€120m)
Losses on players sold
during FY2015 (2014)
* The simple example presented here represents the transfer activity that has the greatest impact on profit and loss accounts, through profits on sale and amortisation costs. €306m (€778m)
The FY2015 transfer income and costs on non-capitalised activity represent a combination of loan fees (both costs and incomes), agents’ fees that have not been rolled into Transfer costs in FY2015 (2014)
the transfer fee (‘capitalised’) and hence recognised in FY2015, and the overall transfer activity of a number of mainly smaller clubs, which employ a different accounting (€236m) €359m on non-capitalised activity
policy of recognising transfer incomes and costs as soon as the transfer takes place. ** The timing of the financial period for the majority of the clubs most active in transfer (€358m)
activity (ending just before the main summer transfer window), combined with the delay in the publication of financial statements, means that a number of transfer windows
have passed by the time the figures are analysed, rendering the figures less compelling than the numerous up-to-date transfer market reports that proliferate in the news. Transfer income in FY2015
Nonetheless, the figures in this report are of considerable value as they can be considered the only ‘official’ European club transfer figures, on the basis that they are
compiled from the detailed notes to the audited financial statements of 700+ clubs, as opposed to figures that only cover part of the transfer market (FIFA TMS reports) or (2014) on non-capitalised activity
pure estimates (all other reports, websites or press figures).

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Reported net transfer costs and income

Analysis of FY2015 net transfer costs

Clubs reported net transfer costs of €445m in FY2015, equivalent to 2.6% of revenue and considerably lower than The ‘big four’ leagues (England, Germany, Italy and
the FY2014 figure of €778m.* For clubs in leagues 21-54 transfer activity contributed a net transfer gain of 8.9%. Spain) were responsible for 81% of overall top-division
transfer spending in FY2015, pointing to a notable
The actual transfer spend, however, was 13% higher in FY2015 than in FY2014, with 25%+ increases in the transfer increase in the concentration of transfer spending
spend of English, German and Spanish clubs outweighing similar decreases in French and Russian clubs’ spending. from the previous record of 72% (FY2014).

Six-year evolution in net transfer costs as a Six-year evolution in gross transfer spend (€’m) Six-year evolution in the ‘big four’ transfer spend as
percentage of revenue a percentage of all top-division transfer spending

13%

Based on the summer 2015 and 2016 transfer windows and disclosed or estimated transfer fees, we can reasonably expect transfer spending and its concentration
to rise further. However, it is more complicated to forecast the exact impact on net transfer costs as transfer windows can cut across financial year ends.

* A concerted effort was made in the FY2014 and FY2015 reporting to include all transfer costs and incomes and loan activity within the transfer activity analysis. In some cases this required clubs to reclassify transfer costs/incomes from general operating costs to transfer activity. In FY2014 this led to
the addition of €70m (2.3%) in transfer incomes/proceeds on non-capitalised activity and €130m (3.4%) in gross transfer costs/spending on non-capitalised activity. To ensure the best possible comparison, the same percentage adjustments have been made to the reported transfer costs/spending,
incomes/proceeds, net transfer costs/spending and transfer volumes in FY2009 to FY2013.

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CHAPTER 10: Transfer and other costs

Top 20 clubs by net transfer costs and net transfer spending

The top 20 clubs by net transfer costs in FY2015

Transfer Transfer Net transfer

Net transfer Net transfer 6 year
Rank Club Country costs/ profits/ costs as a % of
costs spending rank
losses incomes total revenue
1 Manchester United FC ENG €131m €31m €100m 19% €144m 1
2 Paris Saint-Germain FC FRA €87m €2m €84m 17% €12m 3
3 Manchester City FC ENG €92m €18m €74m 16% €56m 8
4 FC Internazionale Milano ITA €86m €26m €60m 35% €10m 13
5 AC Milan ITA €54m €4m €50m 23% €117m 2
6 Juventus ITA €65m €24m €41m 13% €36m 7 €m FY2015 net transfer costs
7 FC Barcelona ESP €69m €31m €37m 7% €109m 75
8 Chelsea FC ENG €91m €55m €36m 9% €32m 23
€m FY2015 net transfer spending*
9 Arsenal FC ENG €72m €38m €34m 8% €108m 6
10 Queens Park Rangers FC ENG €36m €2m €34m 30% €30m n/a
11 SSC Napoli ITA €47m €15m €31m 24% €18m 11
12 Sunderland AFC ENG €32m €5m €27m 20% €50m 44
13 Galatasaray SK TUR €27m €0m €27m 18% €17m 10
14 VfL Wolfsburg GER €32m €6m €26m 14% €45m 42
15 Real Madrid CF ESP €105m €79m €26m 4% €75m 100+
16 Aston Villa FC ENG €26m €0m €25m 17% €16m 60
17 Borussia Dortmund GER €33m €8m €25m 9% €60m 12
18 Tottenham Hotspur FC ENG €53m €30m €25m 10% €6m 4
19 West Ham United FC ENG €28m €4m €24m 15% €44m 9
20 FC Zenit St. Petersburg RUS €30m €7m €23m 12% -€6m 15
1-20 Average €60m €19m €41m 16% €49m
1-20 Aggregate €1,195m €386m €811m 14% €979m

Putting the figures in context

Manchester United FC’s net transfer costs of €100m were comfortably the highest any club Manchester United FC also had the highest net transfer spend in FY2015 at €144m.* The costs from those 2015
had to absorb in FY2015 and the second highest of the decade (the highest being recorded by acquisitions will be spread out over the years to come on a straight-line basis according to the contract lengths
Manchester City FC, in FY2011). Manchester United have also reported the highest of the players involved, and the English club’s net spend remains some way off the record of €221m set by Real
cumulative six-year net transfer costs in Europe. Real Madrid CF also incurred costs of more Madrid CF in FY2009. While Paris Saint-Germain FC and FC Internazionale Milano had to absorb the second and
than €100m in FY2015 but large transfer profits resulted in a net ranking of 15th for the year. fourth highest net transfer costs in FY2015, their actual net spend during the period was just €12m and €10m
Nine English clubs feature in the top 20 list, while FC Internazionale Milano’s net transfer respectively. AC Milan, FC Barcelona, Arsenal FC and Real Madrid CF, on the other hand, recorded much higher
costs absorbed the highest percentage of revenue (equivalent to 35%). underlying net spending than net costs.
* The analyses of net transfer costs and net transfer spending both provide insights. Net transfer costs are the net costs that clubs actually absorb in their financial statements, which impact heavily on both the club’s bottom line net profits/losses and their break-even calculations. Net transfer
spending is not the amount directly impacting the FY2015 financial statements but represents the net of the total committed transfer spending and proceeds of FY2015. This gives a better indication of the actual transfer activity (ins and outs) during the year.

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European club operating costs

Much of a club’s operating cost base is either fixed (assets and property, cost of facilities and basic administrative costs) or linked to the number
of matches played (matchday expenses).* With revenues increasing significantly each year, the proportion of revenue dedicated to (non-wage)
operating costs is falling, down from 38.8% in FY2010 to 32.7% in FY2015.
Total operating costs, supported by generally low inflation, increased by 1 to 2% each year between FY2010 and FY2014, but FY2015 saw an
increase of 5%. Operating costs increased for 60% of clubs, and 17 clubs reported notable increases of €10m or more.
The quality and extent of financial disclosure of operating costs varies across Europe, making comparisons challenging.** The main components
are set out on the pitch below, albeit with unallocated ‘other’ operating costs amounting to 21%.

Six-year evolution in operating costs as a percentage of revenue* Breakdown of operating costs

* References to ‘operating cost base’ and ‘operating costs’ in this report exclude employee costs (which have been analysed separately) and transfer activity (amortisation also analysed elsewhere in the report). **Disclosure of operating costs differs significantly between financial reporting
frameworks. UEFA and many of its member associations require additional disclosure from clubs, above and beyond normal company reporting, and this has enabled the first Europe-wide analysis of club operating costs allocated to different categories. Individual club cost structures differ
considerably. One obvious example is stadium ownership, which will heavily impact ‘assets costs’ (including depreciation) and ‘property and facilities expense’ (including repairs and maintenance expenses, as well as rental/leasing costs). Merchandising and hospitality arrangements also influence the
‘cost of sales’ (including raw materials), ‘matchday costs’ and ‘commercial costs’.

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Operating cost levels and trends across leagues

The top 20 leagues by average club operating costs The top 20 markets
Ranking by Underlying
Percentage of total revenue Aggregate Club average (€m)
club average growth The extent of the commercial activity of German and English clubs highlighted in the revenue analysis is also
clear from the cost side, with average club operating costs of €50.9m and €49.8m respectively. The high
+7% €916m
stadium ownership rate and associated costs faced by clubs in England, Germany and Spain is also a factor in
+4% €996m their relatively high operating costs.

+16%* €668m While the wealthiest clubs operate on a larger scale, servicing global commercial activities, the match
organisation and club running activities of most football clubs are, by nature, broadly fixed costs. This leads
+2% €628m to large economies of scale and explains why operating costs generally grow at a much slower rate than
revenues. This is also evident when looking at operating costs as a percentage of revenue, ranging from an
-1% €458m average of just 23% for the high-earning English clubs to between 40% and 50% for those in the majority of
+44%* €201m the other leagues.
With operating costs absorbing just 23% of total revenue in the English Premier League, there is clearly
+1% €204m
plenty left to pay high wages and transfer fees.
+22%* €203m
-13% €91m Outside the top 20 markets

-10% €141m The tendency for fixed operating costs to absorb a higher percentage of revenues is clear when analysing the leagues outside the
top 20. Operating costs absorb an average of 49% of revenues for clubs in those countries and more than half of revenue for
+4% €152m clubs in 17 leagues. With this level of operating costs before wages, it is clear that clubs need to make player transfer profits in
-15% €69m order to balance their books.

+0% €50m
Leagues in which operating costs absorbed
-9% €56m more than 50% of revenues
+11% €71m
-9% €71m
+0% €68m
+21% €52m
+28%* €44m
+16%* €37m
* In certain cases relatively large increases are linked to non-repeating and/or external factors. Just over half of the Spanish league increase is due to an exceptional impairment and amortisation of fixed assets by Valencia CF. Three-quarters of the Russian increase is due to a one-off impairment of
commercial property by PFC CSKA Moskva. The high percentage growth rates in Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine are partly influenced by a depreciating local currency, which makes any imported costs relatively more expensive.

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Top 20 clubs’ operating cost levels and trends

Year-on-year % of total Multiple of the
Rank Club Country FY15
growth revenue league average
1 Real Madrid CF ESP €199m 9% 34% 6.0 x
2 FC Bayern München GER €186m 1% 39% 3.7 x
3 FC Barcelona ESP €162m 16% 29% 4.9 x
4 Borussia Dortmund GER €124m 12% 44% 2.4 x
5 Chelsea FC ENG €122m 22% 30% 2.5 x
6 Manchester City FC ENG €121m 19% 26% 2.4 x FY2015 operating costs
7 Arsenal FC ENG €118m 16% 26% 2.4 x
8 Manchester United FC ENG €111m -4% 21% 2.2 x % FY2015 operating costs as
percentage of total revenue
9 Paris Saint-Germain FC FRA €109m -13% 23% 4.8 x
10 FC Schalke 04 GER €95m 27% 44% 1.9 x
11 AC Milan ITA €86m 7% 40% 2.8 x
12 Liverpool FC ENG €86m 11% 22% 1.7 x
13 Tottenham Hotspur FC ENG €70m 27% 27% 1.4 x
14 Valencia CF ESP €69m 196%* 84% 2.1 x
15 Juventus ITA €67m -1% 21% 2.1 x
16 FC Internazionale Milano ITA €65m -2% 38% 2.1 x
17 AS Roma ITA €62m 22% 34% 2.0 x
18 PFC CSKA Moskva RUS €57m 434%* 94% 4.6 x
19 Bayer 04 Leverkusen GER €55m -9% 31% 1.1 x
20 Hamburger SV GER €55m -3% 47% 1.1 x
1-20 Average €101m 2.7 x
1-20 Aggregate €2,021m 13% 32%

Operating costs absorbed an average 32% of the top 20 clubs’ revenues, ranging from 21% at Manchester United FC and Juventus to 47% at
Hamburger SV.*
Operating costs across the top 20 clubs increased by an average of 13% in FY2015, although when adjusting for one-off items and currency
* In two cases the high level and high percentage growth in operating costs is linked to certain fluctuations this drops to 6%, only slightly above the Europe-wide average. The sheer scale of the global super clubs’ non-wage costs highlights the
non-repeating items: an exceptional impairment and amortisation of fixed assets by Valencia CF significant resources these clubs have and the investments they are making in the global expansion of their commercial activities. This is the
and a one-off impairment of commercial property by PFC CSKA Moskva. Without these items,
neither would be in the top 20 clubs by operating costs.
flipside of the large increases in commercial revenues highlighted in the previous section.

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CHAPTER 10: Transfer and other costs

Costs of non-operating items Finance income Finance

costs
In addition to wages, transfer spending and normal operating costs, clubs reported costs €187m Losses on
from non-operating items (gains offset against losses) of just over €600m in FY2015, an
Gains from €603m sale of assets
sale of assets (€202m)
increase of €113m on the previous year. This net cost, covering financing, divesting, other €13m
(€570m) €14m

non-operating gains and losses, and tax was equivalent to 3.6% of revenue, on a par with the (€13m) Net non- (€22m)

average in recent years. It should be noted that many of these items are adjusted or operating costs Non-
removed for the purposes of calculating a club’s financial fair play break-even result. As in Non- €157m FY2015 €605m €168m operating
the rest of this report, however, no adjustments have been applied to the figures presented operating (€211m) (€122m) losses
here. gains FY2014 (€492m)

Tax income €52m €229m Tax

Breakdown of European clubs’ non-operating costs (€304m) expense
(€100m)
English clubs reported combined non-operating costs of €152m in FY2015, equivalent to 3.5% of revenue. These were
primarily finance costs and tax expenses on profits. As a percentage of revenue, the net non-operating costs of
Portuguese and Turkish clubs were comfortably the highest, at 12.3% and 11.3% respectively. This high level of net non-
operating costs is driven almost exclusively by finance costs, mainly from investments in stadiums and other
infrastructure. Six-year evolution in net non-operating items
as a percentage of revenue
Los s es (+) / ga i ns (-) Non-opera ti ng i tems Net fi na nce cos t (+) Net ta x expens e (+) Net non-opera ti ng Net non-opera ti ng
Country
on di ves tment l os s es (+) / ga i ns (-) / i ncome (-) / i ncome (-) cos ts (+) / i ncomes (-) cos ts a s % revenue

ENG €0m €44m €55m €38m €152m 3.5%

ITA €4m -€1m €112m €21m €120m 6.3%
GER €8m -€14m €11m €36m €98m 4.1%
TUR €0m €28m €34m €1m €73m 11.3%
POR -€1m -€20m €14m €5m €42m 12.3%
ESP €0m -€1m €38m €35m €40m 1.9%
FRA €0m -€1m €7m €31m €24m 1.7%
NED €0m -€6m €17m €13m €19m 4.3%
RUS €0m -€1m €21m -€10m €10m 1.4%
UKR €0m -€6m €2m €0m €10m 5.7%
Other -€9m -€12m €105m €9m €16m 0.7%
Total €1m €10m €416m €177m €605m 3.6%

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 11
CHAPTER

Underlying and bottom-line profitability

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CHAPTER 11: Underlying and bottom-line profitability

Profitability highlights
Clubs have generated underlying operating profits of €1.5bn in the last
two years, compared with losses of €700m in the two years before the
introduction of financial fair play

Combined bottom-line losses have decreased by 81% since

the introduction of Financial Fair Play (2011)

25 top division leagues reported aggregate bottom-line profits in 2015

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Medium-term trend in club operating profits

Operating profits are often referred to as ‘underlying profitability’, as they measure how
much clubs generate before transfers, financing and divesting results are considered.

Aggregate European operating profits (€’m)

The dramatically improvement in underlying club profitability was confirmed in

FY2015, with a second consecutive year of significant operating profits. While those
operating profits decreased slightly, to €727m, in FY2015 after a record 2014*,
Europe’s clubs have now generated more than €1.5bn in operating profits in the last
two years. This can be compared with the €200m combined profits made in the first
two years of the break-even rule (FY2012 and FY2013) and the combined losses of
€700m seen in the last two years of unregulated activity (FY2010 and FY2011).

* The collection of detailed club-by-club Europe-wide data was initiated by UEFA in 2008 and the 2014 result is clearly the best seen since then. Aggregate data for the largest leagues (which have represented approximately 70% of top-division revenues and costs over the last two decades) have been
collected and analysed by Deloitte for almost 20 years. The 2014 operating profits of these leagues are more than double the previous record high. Aggregate revenues prior to 1996 were not high enough to generate operating profits to match the 2014 level. On that basis, it is concluded that the
aggregate operating profits of 2014 were the highest European football has ever generated.

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CHAPTER 11: Underlying and bottom-line profitability

Medium-term trend in European club bottom-line losses

The losses reported here and referred to throughout the report, whether individual club, aggregate league or aggregate European losses, are final audited financial statement
losses after tax, sometimes referred to as ‘bottom-line losses’, adjusted only for unrealised foreign exchange gains and losses. This is not the same as the break-even result,
which includes various adjustments such as the removal of costs related to virtuous investments in the areas of youth football, community activities and infrastructure, the
removal of certain taxes, and fair-value assessments of related-party transactions. In seeking to meet break-even targets, clubs do, however, tend to improve their bottom-line
profitability.

Aggregate European bottom-line losses

Net bottom-line losses after transfer, non-operating, financing, tax and divesting
activities amounted to an aggregate €322m in FY2015. That is less than 20% of the
pre-financial fair play level (either FY2010 or FY2011). Importantly, this sharp
reduction in bottom-line losses has been primarily driven by the underlying profits
generated from operating activities rather than temporary movements in other
Net losses
post-operating items. cut by 81%
From operating result to bottom-line net result
€1,347m

Operating
profits/losses
Transfer
income/costs
Gains/losses from
divestment of assets Non-operating
income/costs Financial gains/losses,
excluding foreign exchange Tax income/
impacts Net bottom-line
costs profits/losses

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Medium-term trend in number of loss-making clubs

Financial fair play objectives and results to date Evolution in the number of clubs with significant
annual losses (FY2009 to FY2015)
The UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations aim to
discourage both large-scale repeated losses among clubs and the build-up
of debt, thereby increasing the credibility and investment-worthiness of
club football. The objective is not to turn the clubs into profit centres but
to reduce the extreme excesses that had started to become more common
as larger and larger revenues flowed into club football and the financial
stakes rose.

While there are still a number of clubs making large losses, nearly all of
them are now operating under settlement agreement restrictions agreed
by the clubs and the UEFA Club Financial Control Body, giving the clubs a
set of bespoke targets designed to bring them back to break-even point.

Noticeable reduction in the number of clubs

operating with large losses

The number of clubs generating large losses has fallen each year since the break-even
rule was introduced. As examples, the number of clubs with single-year losses of more
than €45m has dropped from 11 in FY2011 to 4 in FY2015 and the number of clubs with
single-year losses of more than €15m has dropped from 36 in FY2010 to 22 in FY2015.

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CHAPTER 11: Underlying and bottom-line profitability

Medium-term trend in league profitability

Significant jump in the number of countries with profitable top-tier leagues
Evolution in league profitability, FY2009-
FY2015
While the previous analysis highlighted the effectiveness of financial fair play in
reducing large, repeated club losses at the top end of the game, the charts presented
here point to further broader improvements across Europe. On an aggregate league
basis, before FY2015 the largest number of profitable leagues (aggregate of clubs
within each league) was 15 in FY2012 and FY2014. The latest financial results
indicate a significant improvement, with 25 profitable top divisions in FY2015.

The centrepiece of financial fair play, the break-even rule, may not directly address Profitable
small and medium-sized clubs with costs and incomes below €5m, but financial fair leagues
play has other direct and indirect impacts on these clubs. Direct in that UEFA and
the Club Financial Control Body pass their eyes over detailed financial data from all
clubs competing in UEFA competitions and in particular take careful, regular note of
all overdue payables. And indirect in that financial fair play has resulted in a
significantly higher level of scrutiny of club finances and the actions of club owners
Leagues with a loss
and directors. In addition, some countries, such as Cyprus, have introduced their
margin of between
own versions of financial fair play, tailored to their clubs and the scale of their
0% and 20%
financial activities.

Leagues with a
Significant drop in the number of countries with major loss-making top-tier leagues loss margin of
more than 20%
The number of countries with a combined club loss margin of 20% or more is now the
lowest on record. A loss margin of 20% means that clubs spend at least €6 for every €5
they make. The peak number of leagues at this level was 17 in FY2009 and the lowest
number before FY2015 was 13 in FY2013 and FY2014. In FY2015 the number dropped
considerably to just seven leagues. Seven is still seven too many but it represents
significant progress.

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Relative profitability across the top 20 leagues The leagues to the right of the grey line generated
enough net transfer profits to cover net costs from
financing, tax and divestments. Leagues to the left
were the opposite, reporting a better operating
margin than bottom-line margin.
Profit and loss margins of the top 20 leagues Operating and net profit margins in the
top 20 leagues
European clubs’ underlying and bottom-line profitability have both improved greatly but significant differences
between the leagues remain. The bar chart below indicates the main contributors to the bottom-line €322m net
losses seen in FY2015, while the scatter chart sets out the operating and bottom-line profitability of each of the
top 20 leagues.
The combined operating profit margins of the clubs in the top 20 leagues is 4.9%, which after transfer activity and
financing turns into a bottom-line loss margin of just 1.6%. The top 20 is split in two, with ten countries reporting
bottom-line profits and ten reporting bottom-line losses, ranging from a negative 32% margin for Turkish clubs to
a positive 37% margin among Ukrainian clubs, driven by relatively large transfer profits.
Notable bottom-line profits and losses by league (€m)

The bar chart indicates that three countries were responsible for the bulk of net losses in Europe in FY2015. Without
Italian, Turkish and Russian clubs, Europe’s top-division football would have been profitable to the tune of €274m.
The next page looks at profitability by league and club, highlighting the variations within each league. In the cases
of Italy, Turkey and Russia, 16 clubs from these three leagues achieved bottom-line profitability. The 26 clubs that
have entered into settlement agreements with the Club Financial Control Body and committed to working towards
breaking even and reducing their bottom-line losses were responsible for losses of €347m in FY2015.

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CHAPTER 11: Underlying and bottom-line profitability

Underlying operating profitability across the top 20 leagues

Operating profits and losses across the top 20 leagues* More than 130 clubs in the top 20 leagues generated operating profits, 18
of them from England and 15 from Germany. At least three clubs in every
top 20 league reported operating profits.
Overall, 42% of clubs in the top 20 leagues generated operating profits in
FY2015, slightly down on the 44% recorded in FY2014 but considerably up
on the percentage before the introduction of financial fair play in 2011,
when just 35% reported underlying operating profits.
Profit margin
of 0-10%

Profit margin
of 10-20%

Profit margin
of 20%+

Loss margin of
20%+

Loss margin of
10-20%

Loss margin of
0-10%

* Data was available for all clubs in the top 20 leagues analysed on this page, with the exception of one Italian, two Ukrainian and six Portuguese clubs. The club-by-club analysis for these leagues is therefore limited to 19, 12 and 12 clubs respectively.

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 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

Bottom-line profits across the top 20 leagues

Bottom-line profits and losses across the top 20 leagues*
For the first time on record, more than 50% of clubs from the top 20 leagues
generated net profits in FY2015, with at least four profitable clubs in each
league. This share of profitable and loss making clubs has to be considered in
the context of club football, where the majority of club owners view breaking
even with hope rather than expectation, in contrast to most commercial
activities, where the central objective is to generate steady profit margins.

Profit margin
of 0-10%

Profit margin
of 10-20%

Profit margin
of 20%+

Loss margin of
20%+

Loss margin of
10-20%

Loss margin of
0-10%

The turnaround in profitability in the English and Spanish top divisions is

particularly noticeable, with 13 English and 14 Spanish top-tier clubs reporting
profits in FY2015. To give a little perspective, bottom-line profits were reported
by just four English clubs in FY2010 and just seven Spanish clubs in FY2011.

* Data was available for all clubs in the top 20 leagues analysed on this page, with the exception of one Italian, two Ukrainian and six Portuguese clubs. The club-by-club analysis for these leagues is therefore limited to 19, 12 and 12 clubs respectively.

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CHAPTER 11: Underlying and bottom-line profitability

Top 20 club operating profits and losses

Top 20 clubs by operating profit
FY15 FY14 FY15
Operating
Rank Club Country operating operating revenue
profit margin
profit profit rank ranking
1 Manchester United FC ENG €143m 27% 1 3
2 Paris Saint-Germain FC FRA €120m 25% 2 4
3 Real Madrid CF ESP €90m 15% 3 1
4 Liverpool FC ENG €86m 22% 8 9 €m FY2015 operating profits (20%+ of revenue)
5 Arsenal FC ENG €80m 18% 7 7
6 Manchester City FC ENG €64m 14% 6 6
€m FY2015 operating profits (10-20% of revenue)
7 Juventus ITA €59m 18% 25 10
8 FC Barcelona ESP €58m 10% 4 2
9 FC Zenit St. Petersburg RUS €57m 29% 100+ 15 €m FY2015 operating losses (10-20% of revenue)
10 Burnley FC ENG €54m 52% 100+ 44
11 FC Bayern München GER €52m 11% 5 5
€m FY2015 operating losses (20%+ of revenue)
12 Tottenham Hotspur FC ENG €47m 18% 16 12
13 Leicester City FC ENG €46m 34% 100+ 29
14 Newcastle United FC ENG €45m 26% 22 20
15 VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach GER €41m 28% 26 27
16 Borussia Dortmund GER €38m 14% 12 11
17 Hull City FC ENG €37m 33% 27 39 Operating profits allow clubs to finance themselves and be
18 West Ham United FC ENG €35m 22% 13 23 active in the transfer market while still balancing their books.
19 Bayer 04 Leverkusen GER €32m 18% 31 18
20 Crystal Palace FC ENG €27m 20% 11 32
1-20 Average €60m
1-20 Aggregate €1,210m 20%

The top 20 for operating profits includes 11 English clubs, buoyed by

the second year of the current Premier League TV contract.
Manchester United FC generated record operating profits of €143m
in FY2015, surpassing the previous record of €135m reported by Real
Madrid CF in FY2011
Non-repeating asset write-down’s generated the two largest
operating losses in FY2015. The sum of the 20 largest operating
losses in FY2015 (€452m) was the lowest since detailed club-by-club
records began.
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Top 20 bottom-line profits and losses

Top 20 clubs by net profit*

FY15 net Net profit FY14 profit

Rank Club Country
profit margin ranking

1 Liverpool FC ENG €75m 19% 100+

2 Newcastle United FC ENG €43m 25% 14
3 Real Madrid CF ESP €42m 7% 6
4 Leicester City FC ENG €40m 30% 4 €m FY2015 net profits (20%+ of revenue)
5 Burnley FC ENG €40m 38% 100+
6 FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk UKR €33m 53% 62 €m FY2015 net profits (10-20% of revenue)
7 Real Sociedad de Fútbol ESP €30m 69% 12
8 FC Dynamo Kyiv UKR €30m 67% 18
€m FY2015 net profits (0-10% of revenue)
9 FC Zenit St. Petersburg RUS €26m 13% 100+
10 Malmö FF SWE €25m 56% 21
11 Arsenal FC ENG €24m 5% 33
12 FC Bayern München GER €24m 5% 19
13 Sporting Clube de Portugal POR €24m 38% 100+
14 FC Schalke 04 GER €23m 10% 50
15 AFC Ajax NED €22m 21% 20
16 VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach GER €21m 14% 26
17 FC Porto POR €20m 21% 100+
18 Athletic Club ESP €19m 19% 10 €m FY2015 net losses (0-10% of revenue)
19 Hull City FC ENG €16m 14% 29
20 FC Shakhtar Donetsk UKR €15m 30% 100+
€m FY2015 net losses (10-20% of revenue)
1-20 Average €31m 28%
1-20 Aggregate €559m 16%
€m FY2015 net losses (20%+ of revenue)
Liverpool FC’s net profit of €75m is the third largest profit on
record and came courtesy of a large profit on the sale of a star
player. Four clubs reported extremely high profit margins of 50%+,
with all four reporting net transfer profits and two also appearing
in the UEFA Champions League group stage.
* Each year a number of clubs appear in the top 20 profitability tables due to exceptional one-
off non-recurring events. In some cases adjustments are made for financial fair play purposes
but for benchmarking we do not adjust but disclose.

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CHAPTER 11: Underlying and bottom-line profitability

Relative profitability outside the top 20 leagues The leagues to the right of the grey line generated
enough net transfer profits to cover net costs from
financing, tax and divestments. Leagues to the left
Operating and net profit margins were the opposite, reporting a better operating
Operating profitability in leagues 21 to 54 margin than bottom-line margin.
in leagues 21 to 54

While overall Europe-wide operating profits have increased and net losses have fallen, the results vary across Europe.
Of the 34 non-top leagues, 14 generated aggregate underlying operating profits in FY2015 – a minority but nonetheless
a significant increase on the 11 leagues that did so in FY2014 and the 4 that achieved the same back in FY2011.

On an aggregate basis across the 393 clubs in the non-top 20 leagues, a negative operating margin of -14.3% was
generated in FY2015, which is a slight improvement on the -14.8% recorded in FY2014 and a notable improvement on
the operating loss margins of more than 20% reported in FY2010 and FY2011.
When comparing these leagues with the top 20, what stands out is the greater reliance on benefactors, transfer profits
and UEFA club competition prize money, which can lead to larger fluctuations in financial performance from year to
year.

Bottom-line net profitability in leagues 21 to 54

At net profit level, after transfer, non-operating, financing, tax and divesting activities have been included, 15 of the 34
leagues outside the top reported aggregate profits in FY2015. Twelve of these leagues reported both operating and net
profits, while three (Latvia, Serbia and Iceland) were able to transform operating losses into bottom-line profits.

The clubs of six countries were less successful in balancing their books in FY2015 and reported net loss margins of
more than 20%. The loss margins of Estonia, Israel and Georgia exceeded 50%. Clubs in these countries spent more
than €3 for every €2 they made.
On an aggregate basis across the 393 clubs in these non-top leagues, a negative bottom-line loss margin of 8.4% was
generated in FY2015. Across these leagues this is clearly the best result on record.

Evolution in the bottom-line net loss

margins of leagues 21 to 54

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Bottom-line profits outside the top 20 leagues

Net profits and losses in leagues 21 to 54
A total of 167 clubs outside the top 20 leagues generated bottom-line net profits in FY2015,
with profits reported by more than five clubs in Belarus, Cyprus, Finland, Slovenia, Iceland,
Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lithuania, Armenia, Wales and San Marino.

Profit margin
of 0-10%

Profit margin
of 10-20%

Profit margin
of 20%+

Loss margin of
20%+

Loss margin of
10-20%

Loss margin of
0-10%

Many of the clubs in this group are too small to be assessed under the break-even rule, their
relevant incomes and costs amounting to less than €5m. With 55% of clubs in leagues 21 to 54
reporting losses overall and 91 spending at least €6 for every €5 they make, the reliance on
benefactors and occasional income from transfers and training compensation remains
apparent. In a number of countries, profitability remains the exception rather than the rule.

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 12
CHAPTER

Balance sheets

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 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

Balance sheet highlights

2015 saw record investments of just under €1bn

in stadiums, training facilities and other fixed assets

Net club debt has fallen from 65% of revenue

in 2009 to 40% in 2015

The €6.7bn transfer fees invested in the top 20 club squads represent
more than half (54%) of the total cost of all top division squads

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CHAPTER 12: Balance sheets

Profile of European club assets

The top 20 leagues by average club assets Evolution in European top-division club assets
Club assets relative of
total revenue
Ranking by Underlying
club average growth
Aggregate Club average (€m) 10%
+10% €8,506m
+7% €3,757m
+7% €3,630m
12%
+10% €2,552m
+10% €2,037m
11%
3.6x +10% €1,225m
+24% €980m
7%
+13% €727m
2.8x +33% €404m
2.9x -1% €411m
+17% €600m The asset base of European club football jumped by more than 10% in FY2015, with and
-3% €333m without foreign exchange impacts, and now stands at €27.4bn. Since the phasing in of
the financial fair play break-even requirements (FY2011 to FY2015), €1.3bn has been
-15% €234m
added to the balance sheet value of fixed assets, primarily through stadiums, training
-7% €189m facilities and other infrastructure (more on this in the stadiums section of this report).
+12% €265m
Significant variation in size of assets relative to revenue across leagues
+25% €129m
2.7x +9% €117m The size of club assets relative to revenue varies considerably between clubs and
between leagues, with English, Spanish and Italian clubs’ assets 1.8 to 1.9 times the size
-17% €170m
of their revenues. This is considerably higher than the German and Turkish clubs’ ratio
+15% €150m of 1.1. Elsewhere, Portugal, Ukraine and Denmark’s club asset bases are much higher
+121% €104m relative to revenue, as a result of a number of large directly owned stadium assets.

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Profile of European club stadium ownership

Top-division club stadium ownership Stadium ownership in the top 20 leagues by average club assets

Stadium ownership remains the exception rather than the rule for most European clubs. In total,
only 18% of Europe’s top-tier clubs include their stadium on their balance sheets. The majority of
clubs own their own stadiums in just three top-tier leagues: in England (17 of 20 clubs), Scotland
(9 of 12 clubs) and Spain (14 of 20 clubs).

Top-division club stadium ownership

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CHAPTER 12: Balance sheets

Top 20 clubs by stadium investment

The top 20 stadium/fixed-asset investments*

Original Multiple of
Balance
Rank Club Country fixed asset Depreciation cost to
sheet value
costs revenue

1 Arsenal FC ENG €689m €546m 21% 1.5x

2 Manchester City FC ENG €567m €532m 6% 1.2x
3 Manchester United FC ENG €460m €330m 28% 0.9x
4 FC Bayern München GER €425m €256m 40% 0.9x
5 Tottenham Hotspur FC ENG €354m €287m 19% 1.4x
€m Original cost of tangible fixed assets
6 Real Madrid CF ESP €351m €331m 6% 0.6x
7 Olympique Lyonnais FRA €338m €322m 5% 3.5x €m FY2015 balance sheet value
8 Chelsea FC ENG €336m €246m 27% 0.8x
9 Valencia CF ESP €327m €269m 18% 4.0x
10 Borussia Dortmund GER €296m €190m 36% 1.1x
11 SL Benfica POR €261m €167m 36% 2.6x
12 FC Barcelona ESP €255m €138m 46% 0.5x
13 FC Schalke 04 GER €231m €100m 57% 1.1x
14 Juventus ITA €197m €161m 18% 0.6x
15 Sunderland AFC ENG €188m €132m 30% 1.4x
16 FC København DEN €183m €157m 14% 5.8x
17 FC Porto POR €183m €140m 23% 2.0x
18 Bayer 04 Leverkusen GER €175m €117m 33% 1.0x
19 Aston Villa FC ENG €175m €118m 32% 1.2x
20 PFC CSKA Moskva RUS €172m €134m 22% 2.8x
Club investment
1-20 Average €308m €234m 26% 1.7 x
1-20 Aggregate €6,165m €4,671m 24% 1.1 x Clubs invested €996m in new fixed assets in FY2015, mainly in stadium
and training facilities and complexes. This compares favourably with the
The top 20 for FY2015 includes seven English clubs, four German €670m invested the previous year and contributed to the fastest growth
clubs, three Spanish clubs, two Portuguese clubs and one club each in balance sheet fixed asset value since detailed records began (7%). Eight
from Denmark, France, Italy and Russia. The €4.7bn included in the clubs added new fixed assets of more than €20m in FY2015, headed by
balance sheets of these 20 clubs represents a high proportion (58%) Olympique Lyonnais, who added €174m to their fixed assets on finishing
of all top-division clubs’ tangible fixed assets. their new stadium.
* Fixed assets include stadiums, land, other facilities such as training complexes, stadiums and other facilities under construction, motor vehicles and various equipment and fixtures and fittings. The terms ‘stadium investments’ and ‘fixed asset investments’ are used interchangeably in this report, as
stadiums account for the vast majority of fixed assets by value, as evidenced by the fact that the top 30 clubs by balance sheet fixed assets all either own their stadium, have a long-term finance lease (treated the same as ownership) or are in the process of building a stadium of their own.

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Player assets by league

The top 20 leagues by club average player balance sheet value
The figures included in this report were taken at a fixed point in time (financial year
Squad cost relative Original squad Ranking by Underlying Aggregate on Club average (€m) end) and are therefore not as up to date as some ‘transfer market reports’ that are
to total revenue cost (transfer fees) club average growth balance sheets (balance sheet value) published shortly after each transfer window closes. Nonetheless, the figures used here
€4,234m +17% €2,128m are the only market-wide figures covering national and cross-border transfer activity
that are based on independently audited and verified transfer fees and can therefore be
€2,222m +8% €1,113m considered authoritative. This should be considered when reading transfer market
€1,696m €932m reviews, which are almost entirely based on estimates and assumptions.
+23%
€1,314m +32% €665m The top 20 leagues by average player assets
€973m -25% €455m While the total balance sheet value of players is €6.2bn, the total original transfer fees paid
€378m +8% €214m to assemble these squads stood at €12.5bn at the end of FY2015.* English and Italian clubs
are responsible for over half of the cumulative European top-division transfer spending and
€460m -31% €157m year-end balance sheet value. Cumulative transfer fees are also relatively high in Italy,
€328m €161m Portugal and England when compared with annual revenue.
+6%
€190m +24% €98m
The top 20 markets
€71m +34% €40m The English Premier League and Italy’s Serie A hold 52% of total player balance sheet
€121m -12% €52m value. English clubs had an average of €106m on their balance sheets in intangible player
assets in FY2015 – almost double the Serie A average of €55m and just under three times
€108m -19% €37m the average for clubs in the German Bundesliga. However, intangible player assets in club
€41m -9% €22m balance sheets increased at a faster rate in FY2015 than in the past, up 23% and 32% for
Spanish and German clubs respectively.
€33m +18% €20m Hidden player value on balance sheets
€73m -14% €15m
€3.4bn
€44m +51% €19m Sale price
€2.9bn
€41m +23% €12m Original cost
Player accounting provides a consistent means of
€14m -47% €7m valuing players across all clubs but it is not a

€16m +59%
Value on €0.9bn particularly accurate value assessment for club
€9m balance sheets. The player registrations sold in
balance sheet FY2015 for €3.4bn were valued at the time of sale at
€10m +194% €6m just €0.9bn.
* Total transfer fees are obtained from the detailed notes to each club’s financial statements, which state the combined transfer costs of the players on their books at the start and end of the financial year. These have been externally audited by qualified independent accountants and can
therefore be considered more accurate than other transfer figures that appear in the print media, in reports or on websites.

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CHAPTER 12: Balance sheets

Top 20 clubs by player assets

The top 20 clubs by player balance sheet value
and original transfer cost
Players' Balance Squad cost as
Original
Rank Club Country balance sheet value multiple of
squad cost
sheet value as % of cost revenue
1 Real Madrid CF ESP €365m €721m 51% 1.2 x
2 Manchester United FC ENG €313m €613m 51% 1.2 x €m FY2015 net balance sheet value
3 Chelsea FC ENG €294m €537m 55% 1.3 x
4 Manchester City FC ENG €253m €535m 47% 1.2 x Original cost of squad
€m
5 Arsenal FC ENG €224m €428m 52% 1.0 x
6 FC Barcelona ESP €223m €401m 56% 0.7 x
Original squad cost as a multiple of FY2015
7 Liverpool FC ENG €217m €412m 53% 1.1 x
revenue
8 Paris Saint-Germain FC FRA €203m €437m 47% 0.9 x
9 Tottenham Hotspur FC ENG €143m €273m 52% 1.1 x
10 AC Milan ITA €139m €248m 56% 1.1 x
11 AS Roma ITA €135m €190m 71% 1.0 x
12 FC Bayern München GER €120m €322m 37% 0.7 x
13 Juventus ITA €114m €312m 37% 1.0 x
14 AS Monaco FC FRA €112m €188m 60% 1.6 x
15 FC Internazionale Milano ITA €110m €268m 41% 1.6 x
16 SSC Napoli ITA €105m €202m 52% 1.5 x
17 Southampton FC ENG €99m €176m 56% 1.2 x
18 Borussia Dortmund GER €96m €168m 57% 0.6 x
19 Valencia CF ESP €94m €143m 66% 1.7 x
20 Bayer 04 Leverkusen GER €92m €134m 69% 0.8 x
1-20 Average €173m €335m 53% 1.1 x
1-20 Aggregate €3,451m €6,706m 51% 1.0 x

For at least the fifth year in a row Real Madrid CF reported the most expensive squad in both original cost (€721m) and depreciated balance
The top 20 features clubs with €3.5bn in player transfers remaining as assets sheet value (€365m), with Manchester United FC climbing from fifth to second place. Manchester City FC and Chelsea FC are the other two
on their balance sheets. These players originally cost €6.7bn in combined clubs whose squads cost more than €500m in transfer fees. Relative to annual revenue, the cheapest squads among the top 20 are Borussia
transfer fees, meaning that the value remaining on the balance sheet is Dortmund (0.6 times revenue) followed by FC Bayern München and FC Barcelona (0.7 times revenue), with Valencia CF (1.7x) and FC
equivalent to 53% of the original transfer fee. In relative terms, the €335m Internazionale Milano and AS Monaco (1.6x) at the other end of the scale. While there is no hard-and-fast rule, as there are numerous factors
average squad cost is equivalent to 1.1 times the average FY2015 revenues. that determine subsequent transfer fees, generally speaking if a squad is more mature (depreciated) then there are potentially higher profits to
The transfer cost of compiling these top 20 squads represents 54% of all top be made on resale, as the transfer fee is compared with balance sheet value to calculate profits/losses on sale. The most depreciated squads
division squad costs. are at FC Bayern München and Juventus (37%), while the ‘newest’ squad is at AS Roma (only depreciated to 71% of original transfer cost).

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 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

Club net debt across the top 20 leagues

The top 20 leagues by average club net debt*
Evolution in net debt*
Percentage of total Ranking by Underlying
Aggregate Club average (€m)
revenue club average growth
Net debt can be calculated in various ways, but the definition in the UEFA Club
-3% €1,680m Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations includes net borrowings (i.e. bank
overdrafts and loans, other loans and accounts payable to related parties less cash
+6% €1,141m and cash equivalents) and the net player transfer balance (i.e. the net of accounts
+37% €716m receivable and payable from player transfers).

-24% €586m
+2% €487m
+21% €523m
Make-up of net debt
+20% €478m
+31% €174m
+27% €168m
-14% €142m
+16% €76m
+28% €85m
+28% €50m
-20% €40m
+8% €38m
+3% €55m
+200% +10% €32m
-50% €49m The combined net debt of Europe’s top-division clubs has
-39% €38m decreased notably in the last six years, from the equivalent of
+17% €34m 65% of revenue to 40% of revenue at the end of FY2015.
* Net debt is calculated as per the definition in the UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations, which nets bank overdrafts, bank and other loans, related-party loans and payables and transfer payables against transfer receivables and cash balances. Some other liabilities, including debts
to tax authorities or employees, are not included in this definition but may nonetheless attract finance charges. Gross debt includes all the items above (without taking into account cash balances and transfer receivables).

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CHAPTER 12: Balance sheets

Top 20 clubs by net debt

The top 20 clubs by net debt*

FY15 net Year-on-year Multiple of Multiple of LT

Rank Club Country
debt growth revenue assets*
1 Manchester United FC ENG €536m 11% 1.0 x 0.8 x
2 SL Benfica POR €336m 1% 3.3 x 1.3 x
3 FC Internazionale Milano ITA €306m 30% 1.8 x 2.4 x
4 Valencia CF ESP €285m 13% 3.5 x 0.8 x
5 Queens Park Rangers FC ENG €279m n/a 2.5 x 4.8 x €m FY2015 net debt*
6 AC Milan ITA €249m -3% 1.1 x 1.6 x
7 PFC CSKA Moskva RUS €224m 49% 3.7 x 1.4 x
Net debt as a multiple of FY2015 revenue
8 Galatasaray SK TUR €222m 47% 1.5 x 4.2 x
9 Juventus ITA €209m -4% 0.6 x 0.8 x
10 AS Roma ITA €208m 43% 1.1 x 1.5 x
11 Sunderland AFC ENG €208m 68% 1.5 x 1.0 x
12 Paris Saint-Germain FC FRA €186m 27% 0.4 x 0.7 x
13 Fenerbahçe SK TUR €166m 33% 1.5 x 6.1 x
14 FC Dinamo Moskva RUS €164m -11% 2.4 x 4.1 x
15 Club Atlético de Madrid ESP €164m 78% 1.0 x 1.1 x
16 Liverpool FC ENG €163m -15% 0.4 x 0.5 x
17 Olympique Lyonnais FRA €159m 133% 1.7 x 0.5 x
18 AS Monaco FC FRA €148m 14% 1.3 x 1.3 x
19 FC København DEN €138m 26% 4.4 x 0.8 x
20 FC Schalke 04 GER €137m -10% 0.6 x 1.0 x
1-20 Average €224m 14% 1.8 x 1.1 x
1-20 Aggregate €4,488m 14% 1.0 x 1.1 x

It is important to analyse net debt in context rather than in isolation, as the risk profile of debt
to finance investment is clearly very different to debt taken to fund operating activities. The
chart and table above include the ratio of net debt to revenue, which is used as a risk indicator
for the purposes of financial fair play, and the debt to ‘LT assets’ ratio, which are often used as
security against the debt and are often funded or part funded by debt.*

* ‘LT assets’ is short hand for long-term assets and in this context are the sum of all tangible fixed assets and intangible player assets. They do not include other long-term assets such as goodwill or internally generated intangible assets.

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 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

Assets to liabilities ratio and trends

Ratio of assets to liabilities (debts and obligations) in the top Ratio of assets to liabilities (debts and obligations) in leagues
20 leagues and the change between FY2014 and FY2015* 21 to 54 and the change between FY2014 and FY2015*

Assets smaller than Assets larger than

liabilities but liabilities and
improving year on year improving year on year

Assets smaller than Assets larger than

liabilities and liabilities but
worsening year on year worsening year on year

* The charts on this page illustrate the value of assets relative to liabilities (debts and obligations). A multiplier of more than 1x means the club has positive net equity, with assets larger than liabilities. The change in assets to liabilities ratio is measured on the y axis and indicates whether the ratio
has improved or worsened from the end of 2014 to the end of 2015. The results are presented by league, i.e. the aggregate of all clubs within the league in each year, which is not necessarily the same in both years.

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CHAPTER 12: Balance sheets

Medium-term growth in net club assets

Five-year summary of equity increases and capital contributions Evolution in European top-division club net equity (assets less liabilities; €bn)
in the top 20 leagues and annual capital contributions (€bn)

Financial fair play has played a significant two-fold

role in improving club balance sheets, first by
limiting major losses and second by requiring
owners to permanently inject capital rather than
letting soft loans build up year after year.
English clubs have enjoyed equity increases or capital
contributions (either through new capital injections or debt
write-offs) totalling €2.3bn in the last five years. Italian clubs
are the next largest beneficiaries, to the tune of €1.1bn.
Significant increases of many hundreds of million have also
been recorded by German, Spanish, French, Russian, Turkish, European club balance sheets are significantly healthier in FY2015 than when
Portuguese and Ukrainian clubs. the break-even requirements were first introduced at the end of 2011.* Net
equity, which represents assets less all debts and liabilities, has increased by
84% from €3.3bn to €6.1bn. This has happened because the €3bn combined
losses between FY2012 and FY2015 have been exceeded by owner
contributions and capital increases of €5.7bn during that four-year period.
* The aggregated balance sheet evolution in European top-tier football is impacted by changes in club ownership, corporate restructurings and the mix of clubs in each top-tier league (promotions and relegations), as well as the financial performance and financing of those clubs. As highlighted in
previous benchmarking reports, the large jump in net equity between FY2010 and FY2011 was largely due to a change in the reporting perimeter of a number of English and German clubs. The improvement since FY2011 (after the introduction of the break-even rule) is almost entirely due to
increased owner capital contributions and the writing-off of owner debt, both of which are actively encouraged under the break-even requirements.

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 Club Licensing Benchmarking Report: Financial Year 2015

Appendix: Data sources and notes

Data sources and notes Data sources and notes
Underlying data Unless otherwise stated in the report, footnotes or this appendix, the financial figures used in this Club financial figures: short and long Each year a number of clubs change their financial year end and in so doing extend or shorten
source for financial section have been taken directly from figures submitted through UEFA’s online financial reporting reporting periods in financial sections their financial reporting period. For benchmarking purposes UEFA changes the profit and loss
figures: The European tool by clubs or national associations in May and July 2016. These figures relate to the financial year (Chapters 8 to 12) data if the period is shorter than 9 months or greater than 15 months. In FY2015, the Maltese
footballing landscape ending in 2015, in most cases the year ending 31 December 2015. The figures have been extracted clubs all used a 19-month period and so the P&L data was reduced to 12 months on a pro rata
from financial statements prepared either using national accounting practices or the International basis. Periods between 9 and 12 months are not adjusted.
Financial Reporting Standards and audited according to the International Standards on Auditing.
The 20-year revenue and wage growth figures incorporate estimates for 1996 to 2006 based on top
five data from the Deloitte Annual Review of Football Finance reports extrapolated across the missing Currency rates applied throughout report (euro exchange rates)
leagues using a ratio of 68:32 (known top five data: extrapolated non-top-five data).
Club financial data has been converted to euros for the purposes of comparison. The exchange rate applied is the average of 12 month-
Sources for head The players and head coaches base dataset was collected from the external source end rates. In many countries clubs’ do not share the same financial year end so the 12 months used correspond to the financial period of
coaches and players www.transfermarkt.co.uk, then cross-referenced with UEFA databases. The data was retrieved on each club. For example, the 2015 rate for English clubs with a June year end was 1.303140 and it was 1.327900 for those with a July year
analyses (Chapters 2 1 August 2016 and contains information on the age, nationality, value and career path of each of the end. A full list of the exchange rates used is provided in the table below.
and 3) players and head coaches that were active at that time.
Year end Common year Year end Common year
Country Currency Average rate applied Country Currency Average rate applied
(month) end or various (month) end or various
Sources for supporter The attendance figures should be used as a benchmark only as the exact definition of ‘attendance’ ALB 12 Common LEK 0.007158 KAZ 12 Common TENGE 0.004558
analyses (Chapter 4) can differ. European league attendances are based on the figures published at www.european- AND 12 Common EURO 1.000000 LIE 6 / 12 Various CHF 0.936986 / 0.887559
ARM 12 Common DRAM 0.001886 LTU 12 Common LITAS 0.289620
football-statistics.co.uk/attn.htm, which features club-by-club figures covering the vast majority of AUT 6 Common EURO 1.000000 LUX 12 Common EURO 1.000000
European leagues. These are supplemented by figures provided to UEFA directly by leagues and AZE 12 Common MANAT 0.900044 LVA 12 Common LATS 1.422880
national associations. Attendance figures for other sports are taken from the official league/event BEL 6 / 12 Various EURO 1.000000 MDA 12 Common LEU 0.048328
BIH 12 Common MARK 0.511200 MKD 12 Common Denar 0.016266
website where available, supplemented by figures from Wikipedia where no official figure is readily BLR 12 Common BYR 0.000057 MLT 12 Common EURO 1.000000
disclosed. The club website data was extracted from www.similarweb.com in August 2016. BUL 12 Common LEV 0.511300 MNE 6 / 12 Various EURO 1.000000
CRO 12 Common KUNA 0.131342 NED 6 / 12 Various EURO 1.000000
CYP 5 / 12 Various EURO 1.000000 NIR 3 / 4 / 5 / 12 Various GBP 1.378055 / 1.303140 / 1.289805 / 1.275236
CZE 6 / 12 Various Kroner 0.036653 / 0.036275 NOR 12 Common KRONER 0.112080
Sources for stadium The outdoor stadium projects data presented in this chapter was collected from a number of sources. DEN 6 / 12 Various KRONE 0.134073 / 0.134203 POL 6 / 12 Various ZLOTY 0.239160 / 0.239830
analyses (Chapter 5) In most cases the data was retrieved from www.stadiumdb.com and supplemented by figures ENG 5/6/7 Various GBP 1.315119 / 1.303140 / 1.327900 POR 6 Common EURO 1.000000
provided to UEFA directly by leagues and national associations. The sample only covers outdoor ESP 6 Common EURO 1.000000 ROU 12 Common LEU 0.224969
EST 12 Common EURO 1.000000 RUS 12 Common ROUBLE 0.014866
stadium projects with a minimal capacity of 5,000, constructed since 2007 or currently under
FIN 11 / 12 Various EURO 1.000000 SCO 5/6/7 Various GBP 1.315119 / 1.303140 / 1.327900
construction. Stadium renovations have been included within this study with the exception of FRA 6 / 12 Various EURO 1.000000 SMR 6 Common EURO 1.000000
cosmetic renovations such as seat replacements that have no impact on stadium capacity. FRO 12 Common KRONE 0.134073 SRB 12 Common DINJAR 0.008348
GEO 12 Common LARI 0.398170 SUI 6 / 12 Various CHF 0.936985 / 0.887559
Sources for club Club ownership data was obtained from UEFA’s online financial reporting tool over the course of the GER 6 / 12 Various EURO 1.000000 SVK 12 Common EURO 1.000000
GRE 6 Common EURO 1.000000 SVN 12 Common EURO 1.000000
ownership and financial year 2015. In addition to the data submitted using this tool, desk research was performed HUN 12 Common FORINT 0.003227 SWE 12 Common SEK 0.106909
sponsorship analyses until 17 October to include recent changes in club ownership structures. The ownership structures IRL 11 Common EURO 1.000000 TUR 5 / 12 Various LIRA 0.332356 / 0.352460
(Chapters 6 and 7) found in 13 of the financially biggest European football leagues were analysed. ISL 12 Common KRONA 0.006843 UKR 12 Common HRYVNIA 0.041642
ISR 5 Common SHEKEL 0.231984 WAL 11 / 12 Various GBP 1.378055 / 1.368976
The base sponsorship dataset used in Chapter 7 was collected from www.sportcal.com/Sponsorship ITA 6 / 12 Various EURO 1.000000 GIB 12 Common GIP 1.275236
on 8 August, then cross-referenced with UEFA sponsorship databases. The sample covers an
extensive dataset of active sponsorship deals within the sports sector as a whole and in football
particularly.

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Production
UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Unit
Author
Sefton Perry
Acknowledgements and special thanks
The support of Branco Gianni de Kock and the European club licensing network, in particular the financial
criteria experts and licensing managers from national associations and leagues and the financial experts from
top-division clubs who submitted data.
Enquiries
Enquiries to be addressed to Sefton Perry at clublicensing@uefa.ch