#RealMadrid 2017/18 accounts cover a season when they finished third in La Liga, but won the Champions League for a third consecutive year, the fourth time in 5 years, plus the Club World Cup and European and Spanish Super Cups. Some thoughts in the following thread. #RealMadrid profit before tax increased by €17m from €26m to €43m (profit after tax up €10m from €21m to €31m). Revenue (Madrid’s definition) rose 11% (€76m), their largest rise since 2000, to a record high of €751m, while profit on player sales was 4% (€2m) up at €54m.

Manchester United are the second Premier League club after #MCFC to publish 2017/18 financial results, covering a season when they were runners-up in the league and FA Cup, but were eliminated by Sevilla in the Champions League last 16. Some thoughts in the following thread #MUFC #MUFC profit before tax down from £57m to £26m, mainly due to higher player costs, as wage bill shot up £32m and player amortisation rose £14m, while revenue only up £9m. Tax bill increased from £17m to £63m as a change in US corporate tax rate led to a £49m non-cash write-off.

Ten years after Sheikh Mansour acquired the club, Manchester City’s 2017/18 financial results covered a season when they won the Premier League in some style, won the League Cup and reached the Champions League quarter-finals. Some thoughts in the following thread #MCFC #MCFC profit before tax up from £0.1m (£1.1m after tax) to £10.4m, as previous season was adversely impacted by change in year-end resulting in an extra month’s costs with minimal revenue uplift. Revenue rose £27m (6%) to £500.5m, only second English club above £0.5 bln.

Prize money for UEFA club competitions significantly increases in 2018/19, including a new coefficient ranking payment that better rewards historically successful clubs rather than those with larger national TV rights deals. Some thoughts follow on Champions League distribution. The amount distributed to clubs in UEFA Champions League (group stage onwards) will rise €681m (54%) from €1.269 bln to €1.950 bln in 2018/19. This is split: participation €488m (25%), performance €585m (30%), TV pool €292m (15%) and coefficient rankings €585m (30%).

Atletico Madrid’s 2016/17 accounts cover a season when they finished third in La Liga and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League under coach Diego Simeone. Some thoughts on their finances in the following thread #Atleti #AúpaAtleti #AtleticoMadrid #Atleti profit before tax improved from €1m to €5m (profit after tax up from €4m to €5m), as revenue rose €48m (21%) to a record high of €281m, though profit on player sales fell €7m to €37m. No repeat of the 15/16 €27m extraordinary charge linked to stadium development.

A long-suffering Newcastle United fan asked how their financial performance compared with Tottenham Hotspur since Mike Ashley bought the club in July 2007, so here’s a few thoughts in the following thread #NUFC #THFC Both #NUFC and #THFC have focused on profit. #NUFC have essentially broken even during Ashley’s tenure with £4m aggregate profit, while #THFC have reported an impressive £215m. Worth noting that £188m of that came in last 4 seasons, when #NUFC had a £47m loss in Championship.

As talk intensifies of a potential move of Arsenal’s chief executive, Ivan Gazidis, to Milan, I thought it would be interesting to look at how the club’s financials have developed since he arrived in January 2009. Some thoughts in the following thread #AFC #Milan #ACMilan #AFC revenue has grown by an impressive £198m under Gazidis, only outpaced by #MCFC £366m & #MUFC £303m in absolute terms. However, this was the 2nd smallest % growth of Big 6. Furthermore, 2017/18 revenue is likely to be £40-50m lower, due to not qualifying for Champions League.

Parachute payments are made to clubs relegated from the Premier League in order to soften the blow of the significant reduction in revenue in the Championship, especially as many players’ wages remain at a high level. The following thread looks at how these payments work. It is evident that parachutes have a major impact on the competitive balance in the Championship, as the 6 clubs with the highest revenue in 2016/17 all benefited from these payments, most notably the 3 relegated the previous season: #NUFC £86m, #NCFC £75m & #AVFC £74m.

Although the 2016/17 financial results for the Championship are now a season out-of-date, they are the most recent published by the clubs, so people might still be interested in the comparisons as the new season kicks-off. Some thoughts in the following thread. In contrast to the Premier League, only 6 clubs in the Championship made money, led by #NFFC £32m & #BarnsleyFC £13m. In this very competitive division most clubs over-extend in a bid to reach the lucrative top flight. Largest losses at 2 promoted clubs: #NUFC £47m & #BHAFC £39m.

Although the 2016/17 financial results for the Premier League are now a season out-of-date, they are still the most recent published by the clubs, so I thought some comparisons might be interesting as we head into the 2017/18 season. Thread follows. Thanks to a combination of the PL TV deal and FFP wage controls, almost all clubs are now profitable with only #SAFC reporting a loss. #LCFC led the way with £92m profit before tax, the highest ever made in the Premier League, followed by #THFC £58m, #MUFC £57m and #AFC £45m.

Leeds United’s 2016/17 financial results covered a season when they finished 7th in the Championship under former head coach Garry Monk, thus just missing out on the play-offs #LUFC 2016/17 also saw Massimo Cellino’s three-year reign come to an end, as fellow Italian Andrea Radrizzani first bought a 50% stake in December 2016 before taking 100% ownership in May 2017. He reportedly paid £45m to acquire #LUFC.

Blackburn Rovers’ financial results for 2016/17 covered “a season to forget for #Rovers fans”, as the club was relegated from the Championship to League One with manager Owen Coyle replaced by Tony Mowbray. The good news is that they have immediately bounced back in 2017/18. #Rovers loss worsened by £2.3m from £1.5m to £3.8m, mainly due to £7.1m (32%) reduction in revenue to £14.9m and £6.0m fall in profit on player sales to £10.4m, offset by cost cuts: wages £3.4m (13%) to £22.0m, other expenses £4.8m (51%) to £4.5m & player amortisation £1.8m.

Newcastle United recently published financial results for the 2016/17 season, when they won the Championship to secure immediate promotion back to the Premier League after relegation from the top flight in 2015/16. Some thoughts in the following thread #NUFC #NUFC relegation “had a huge impact on the club’s financial results”, moving from pre-tax £4.2m profit to £46.7m loss, as revenue dropped by almost a third from £126m to £86m, though loss inflated by £32m exceptional items: £10m promotion bonus & £22m onerous contracts provision.

Middlesbrough’s 2016/17 financial results covered their first season back in the Premier League since 2008/09, but it ended in disappointment with relegation to the Championship and the dismissal of manager Aitor Karanka in March. Some thoughts in the following thread #Boro Following promotion to Premier League #Boro converted pre-tax £32.0m loss to £6.9m profit, as revenue increased by £100m to a record £121m and profit on player sales was up £7m to £11m. After tax, profit was £11.5m, compared to £25.9m loss in 15/16, thanks to a £4.6m tax credit.

Tottenham Hotspur’s 2016/17 financial results covered the club’s last season at the old White Hart Lane, when they finished 2nd in the Premier League, played in the Champions League and reached the FA Cup semi-finals. Some thoughts in the following thread #THFC #THFC profit before tax improved by £20m from £38m to £58m with revenue rising by 46% (£97m) to a record £306m and profit on player sales up £13m to £40m. Profit after tax “only” increased by £8m from £33m to £41m, as tax charge was £11m higher at £17m.

Burnley’s 2016/17 financial results covered a season when they finished 16th in the Premier League, thus securing consecutive seasons in the top flight for the first time since 1974, having been promoted from the Championship in 2015/16. Some thoughts follow #BurnleyFC Following promotion to the Premier League #BurnleyFC converted a pre-tax £4.8m loss to £27.3m profit, as revenue tripled from £40m to a record £121m, though profit on player sales was down £11m to £1.3m. After tax, the club made a £22.2m profit, compared to a £3.7m loss in 15/16.

Queens Park Rangers recently published financial results for the 2016/17 season, when they finished 18th in the Championship, with Ian Holloway returning for a second spell as manager after replacing Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. Some thoughts in the following thread #QPR #QPR reduced their loss by £4.6m from £11.0m to £6.4m, their lowest deficit since 2008, as revenue rose £6.1m (15%) to £48.0m and the wage bill was cut by £10.1m (25%) to £30.7m. However, profit on player sales was down £5.4m to £7.3m and interest payable was up £3.3m to £5.7m.

The UEFA Champions League quarter-finals include 3 representatives from Spain (Real Madrid, Barcelona & Sevilla), 2 from England (Manchester City & Liverpool), 2 from Italy (Juventus & Roma), and 1 from Germany (Bayern Munich). Some financial comparisons in the following thread. The Champions League quarter-finalists include 4 of the top 5 Money League clubs (those with the highest revenue). The exception is Manchester United, who were eliminated in the last 16 by Sevilla, the only club not featuring in the Money League Top 30.

Nottingham Forest recently published financial results for 2016/17, when they finished 21st in the Championship, narrowly avoiding relegation. After the season concluded, the club was purchased from Fawaz Al Hasawi by NF Football Investments Ltd. Some thoughts follow #NFFC NF Football Investments Ltd is owned by Evangelos Marinakis (80%) & Sokratis Kominakis (20%). Marinakis is a Greek shipowner, who also owns perennial Greek champions Olympiacos. The takeover was concluded on 18th May 2017, i.e. at the very end of the 16/17 reporting period #NFFC

Liverpool’s 2016/17 financial results included their highest ever revenue, despite not playing in Europe, though they finished 4th in the Premier League and reached the semi-finals of the EFL Cup. Some thoughts in the following thread #LFC #LFC converted £20m loss before tax to £40m profit with revenue growing by 21% (£62m) to a record £364m, though profit on player sales was down £4m at £38m (mainly Christian Benteke, Jordon Ibe, Joe Allen & Martin Skrtel), as no repeat of Raheem Sterling’s big money sale to City.

West Ham’s 2016/17 financial results covered their first season in the new London Stadium. Despite dropping to 11th place in the Premier League, they reported record revenue and profit. Some thoughts in the following thread #WHUFC #WHUFC improved the bottom line by £48m, as they converted a £5m loss to £43m profit with revenue growing by 29% (£41m) to £183m. Profit on player sales was up £24m, mainly due to transfers of Dimitri Payet to Marseille and James Tomkins to Crystal Palace.