In a significant shift in the financial landscape of English football, Liverpool have emerged as the top-earning Premier League club for the first time, according to an analysis by Deloitte. The Reds' impressive revenue generation has been attributed to their victory in the English top-flight title last season.
Liverpool generated a staggering 836 million euros (£702 million), outperforming all other English clubs in terms of revenue. This achievement marks a new era for Liverpool and sets a high bar for other clubs.
Contrastingly, Manchester United experienced a decline, falling to their lowest ever position in the 29th edition of Deloitte's Football Money League. Despite having topped this league on ten occasions - most recently in 2017 - they slipped from fourth to eighth place with earnings of 793 million euros (£666 million). Their matchday revenue is also expected to suffer this season due to their absence from European competition and early exits from both FA Cup and League Cup.
Tim Bridge, lead partner at Deloitte Sports Business Group, said:
"If you went back 10 or 15 years, and you looked at Manchester United's matchday revenue it was the industry leader. If you looked at their ability to generate commercial revenue, it was the benchmark by which everybody then went to market and set their strategy. I don't think that remains the case."
Real Madrid top again globally
Globally, Real Madrid again topped Deloitte’s list with an impressive revenue generation of 1.2 billion euros (£1.01 billion). This is despite not winning either Champions League or La Liga last season. Barcelona secured second place after generating revenues worth 975m euros (£819m), marking their return into top three since the year 2019-20. Bayern Munich followed closely behind at third place with earnings amounting to €861m (£723m).
Champions League winners Paris St-Germain ranked fourth with 837m euros (£703m), followed by Liverpool at fifth. Manchester City experienced a drop from second to sixth place, generating a revenue of 829m euros (£697m). The top ten also included Arsenal (seventh), Tottenham (ninth) and Chelsea (tenth). Additionally, Aston Villa, Newcastle United and West Ham United made it into the top 20.
This shift in financial rankings among English clubs underscores the dynamic nature of football's economic landscape. It remains to be seen how these changes will impact on-field performances and strategies in the coming seasons. For now, Liverpool fans can celebrate their club's financial prowess alongside their sporting successes.
