A UEFA audit of the 237 clubs competing in this season's Champions League and Europa League found that the clubs hold €4.9B ($6.7B) "worth of long-term assets," according to Peter Staunton of GOAL. The audit also found that more than "half of the clubs competing in Europe this season still play in municipally-owned stadiums." The benefits of stadium ownership "are plainly spelt out in the report with those clubs who own their stadiums better prepared for the implications" of Financial Fair Play. UEFA said in a statement, "Long term investment diversifies the sources of club revenue. Clubs owning their own stadium generated 23% and 11% of their total revenue from gate receipts and commercial activities compared to just 14% and 7% for those clubs who rent/lease their stadium." The 237 clubs assessed "make up 57%" of the €14.1B ($19.3B) revenue total in all of Europe's top divisions. These clubs returned a total of €8.1B ($11B) worth of revenue, with net losses across the board reduced from €1.7B ($2.3B) to €1.1B ($1.5B). Of the clubs audited, 62% "reported a rise in revenue with the average rise clocking in" at 9.9% (GOAL, 10/18). INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL's Jake Gable reported EPL side Arsenal has topped a UEFA "benchmarking report of tangible fixed assets with the governing body, valuing the club's long-term assets" at more than €500M ($684M). La Liga side Valencia is ranked in "the second band of teams" in the €200M-plus ($273.6M) "tangible fixed assets category." Valencia sits "alongside usual suspects Real Madrid, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Tottenham." Also "among the surprise clubs in that band are Ukrainian side Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk" (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 10/19).
