Manchester United may have completed the 2017-18 season without a trophy, but that did not stop them from finishing first on the richest of the rich list this year. The Old Trafford outfit tops the valuation chart put out by auditors KPMG today, ahead of the two Spanish giants, Barcelona and Real Madrid, for the second straight year.
In KPMG’s Football clubs’ valuation: the European Elite 2018 study, United occupy the penthouse with an enterprise valuation of €3.255 billion (£2.92bn). Real are second at €2.92bn (£2.62bn)m with Barca then taking third at €2.783bn (£2.49bn).
Bayern Munchen are fourth (€2.552bn/£2.29bn), with Manchester City (€2.16bn/£1.93bn) fifth. Both Manchester clubs saw their value rise over last year, with City seeing a 9% increase in growth, while United registered a 10% surge. While manager Jose Mourinho didn’t really get it done on the pitch this past season, Executive Vice President Ed Woodward definitely took care of business in the board room.
The report’s rankings were based on an analysis of multiple financial factors.
“Overall growth is driven by different factors, one of these being the increase of operating revenues of the top 32, at eight percent,” said the report’s author Andrea Sartori.
“Eye-catching transfer deals and spiraling staff costs have not prevented such clubs from registering a striking upward trend, as the profits before taxes increased by some 17 times in comparison to the previous year.”
“One of the reasons for this growth can be found in the significant influence exercised by English clubs, as well as the improved financial health of many mid-size clubs within the ranking, which also reflects compliance with the UEFA FFP Regulations.”
The rest of the top ten was largely filled out by the Premier League’s big six. Arsenal were sixth, Chelsea seventh, Liverpool eighth, and Tottenham Hotspur tenth. Juventus finished ninth to round out the top ten.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and the Tribune company’s blogging community Chicago Now.
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