ManU has dropped out of the top three highest earning clubs in Deloitte's annual Money League list, having been overtaken in the third spot by Bayern Munich. Deloitte's 17th edition of football's rich list, released Thursday, revealed Real Madrid generated the most revenue for the '12-13 season at €518.9M ($702M), marking its ninth consecutive year atop the list. FC Barcelona held onto the second spot with a revenue of €482.6M ($653M) while Bayern Munich slid into the third sport at €431.2M ($584M). ManU fell to fourth at €423.8M ($573M). Paris St. Germain was fifth at €398.8M ($539M). Man City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Juventus and AC Milan rounded out the top 10. The EPL topped all leagues with six clubs in the top 20 compared to four from Germany and Italy, three from Spain and one from France. To see the list of the top 20 clubs, click here (Deloitte). Deloitte Sports Business Group partner Dan Jones said, "The combined revenue of the top 20 clubs, almost all of which grew their revenue during 2012-13, increased by eight percent, far outpacing the wider global economy. This growth comes even before the new record Premier League and Bundesliga broadcast deals, which will impact on clubs’ revenues in next year’s Money League" (London TELEGRAPH, 1/22).
MANU'S FALL: In London, Owen Gibson reported ManU fell out of the top three "largely as a result of the ability of the Spanish giants to negotiate their own TV deals -- which weakens the competitiveness of La Liga but boosts the pair's own coffers." Bayern Munich's "stellar 2012-13 season, in which the German club won the treble and dominated European football, helped boost their revenues." Prize money from winning the Champions League, together with matchday income from a sold-out Allianz Arena and a focus on commercial deals, including the renewal of a shirt sponsorship deal with Deutsche Telekom, "all helped" (GUARDIAN, 1/22). In Manchester, Mike Keegan wrote "in a comment likely to turn up the heat" on ManU, Deloitte claimed "the club can only regain its place at the top if it continues to qualify for the Champions League." That is something that, at the moment, "looks unlikely" with the Red Devils in seventh place in the Premier League and "needing a top-four finish to gain a spot in next year's tournament" (MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS, 1/23).
