Correction: Helvetic Services and FC Lugano
October 13 – The allegations surrounding Helvetic Services Group and their links with Swiss football and player agents have been clarified in the case of FC Lugano.
Finance
Barca match social media lead with revenue growth, finds report
By Paul Nicholson
October 6 – Social media is the fastest growing segment of most clubs’ activities but can the followers be monetised directly or are they part of the larger media/sponsor sale metrics? It is an issue that is increasingly flexing club thinking as they look to maximise and get a return on their investments in the social arena.
2006 World Cup bid ‘suspect’ Hahn makes powerplay for control of Highlight
By Paul Nicholson
October 4 – A boardroom bust-up has taken place at Highlight Communications that could see the company’s sports media assets come under the control of Dieter Hahn, the former Kirch executive who is deeply implicated in the alleged German cash-for-votes scandal around the award of the 2006 World Cup to Germany, and the secret slush fund used to buy broadcast rights to Bayern matches.
Man Utd top table of highest value squads on the planet
October 4 – Manchester United have the most expensive squad on the planet, the most money ever spent putting a football team together. Local rivals Manchester City rank third in the big money team stakes – with Real Madrid and Barcelona either side of them.
Cash-rich Gunners see profits take a hit
By David Owen
October 3 – Arsenal, the north London club whose French manager Arsène Wenger has just completed an extraordinary 20 years in the hot seat, have reported a sharp downturn in annual profits. The Gunners posted a pre-tax profit of just £2.9 million for the year to 31 May 2016 – down from a restated £18.2 million. Group turnover in the same period rose from £347.3 million to £356.5 million.
Liverpool’s ticket price issues could open door for new money and owner
By Paul Nicholson
September 29 – Big thinking Premier League club Liverpool may shelve the next phase of their stadium development, according to comments made by owner John Henry in the US.
Juve report second year of profit with Pogba cash still to come
September 22 – Italian champions Juventus have reported a second year of operating profits, and that doesn’t include the bumper bonus of the €120 million sale of Paul Pogba to Manchester United which will be included in next year’s figures.
Celtic in profit as analyst predicts big growth potential for its stock
By Paul Nicholson
September 21 – Scottish giants Celtic announced a £500,000 pre-tax profit for the year to end June, reversing a loss of almost £4 million for the previous 12 months and prompting one stockmarket analysis to predict the AIM-listed shares could rise by 400% over the next five years.
West Ham chase missing cash in Masuaku transfer from Olympiakos
By Matt Scott
September 20 – West Ham are hunting for what they believe are missing millions in the £6.8 million (€8 million) transfer of Arthur Masuaku from Olympiacos.
Liverpool top table of Europe’s transfer-earning clubs, Man City are worst traders
September 20 – Clubs from the Big 5 clubs are not only the biggest buyers of players (by value) but they are also the biggest sellers. Only nine clubs outside the big-5 league countries are in the top 50 positions for transfer incomes, according to data from the CIES Football Observatory.
PwC moves into FIFA audit hot-seat
By David Owen
September 17 – PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) have stepped into the hot-seat vacated by KPMG as statutory auditors of FIFA. The world football body announced that the Bureau of the FIFA Council had appointed PwC Switzerland to the role.
Lai completes £175m takeover of West Brom. Will Pulis now get into line?
September 16 – Chinese businessman Guochuan Lai has completed his £175 million acquisition of West Bromwich Albion following the deal being approved by the Premier League this week.
Spend, spend, spend: Man City beat Man Utd rivals all the way to the bank
September 13 – Manchester City have spent over €1 billion on players since 2010, the most of any European club. In 2016, City also top the table spending €213 million. Manchester United are ranked third in spend since 2010, behind Chelsea, and second in the 2016 table, ahead of Juventus and Barcelona.
Mixed success on the pitch but Man Utd scored financial turnaround in 2015-16
By David Owen
September 12 – The impact of a new kit deal with Adidas combined with reduced finance costs as a consequence of a refinancing of the club’s sizeable debt have triggered a turnaround in Manchester United’s financial fortunes. The Old Trafford club today kicked off the 2015-16 Premier League full-year financial reporting season by unveiling a pre-tax profit of £48.8 million for the year to June 30. This compared with a prior-year loss of £3.6 million.
Hull sale collapses as rumours Chinese investors failed fit and proper persons test
August 9 – Chinese money doesn’t always get what it wants. The sale of Premier League club Hull City by Assem Allam (pictured) and his son Ehab to a consortium lead by multi-millionaire siblings Dai Yongge and Dai Xiu Li looks to have collapsed after it appears members of the consortium failed to pass the Premier League Owners’ and Directors test.