April 23 – Manchester City top a ranking of clubs with the most valuable squads by transfer value, ahead of local rivals Manchester United and Chelsea and more than twice the value of PSG.
By David Owen
April 22 – The 2019-20 European club football season was overshadowed, interrupted and ultimately elongated by covid. Even so, UEFA still managed to distribute well over €2.4 billion to the clubs which took part in its main competitions.
April 22 – American bank JP Morgan, who underwrote initial investment in the European Super League (ESL), have been hit with a downgraded sustainability rating as integrity issues have been raised over the bank’s role in the wake of the ESL collapse.
By David Owen
April 21 – The European football body UEFA has posted a deficit of €73.9 million for the covid-hit 2019-20 financial year.
April 20 – Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven are looking to raise €50 million in the coming months with billionaire Robert van der Wallen, a member of the supervisory board, driving the capital raise.
April 15 – US investors are not just looking for deals to buy clubs in Europe. Reports are that American money is positioning to take stakes in clubs in Mexico’s LigaMX and Australia’s A-League.
April 13 – French Ligue 1 Olympique Lyonnais have outlined plans for their players to take up to 25% of their salaries in OL Groupe shares rather than as cash.
April 13 – FC Barcelona are the world’s most valuable club with a valuation of $4.76 billion according to business magazine Forbes. Premier League Manchester United have dropped out of the top three in the ranking.
By David Owen
April 12 – The South London club Crystal Palace have announced a pre-tax loss of £58 million for 2019-20. This was after the accounting period was extended until the end of July. The Eagles are the third Premier League side so far to have adopted this business tactic, in spite of the inclusion of an extra month’s wages in operating costs for the period as a consequence.
By David Owen
April 10 – Aston Villa, the Birmingham club which has made sound on-field progress in its second season back in the Premier League big time, has become the latest English outfit to announce a substantial loss for the covid-impacted 2019-20 campaign.
April 8 – American investors have bought another English club, but rather than expanding US ownership presence in the Premier League investment fund ORG has plumped for Ipswich Town who have not been in the Premier League since 2002. The deal is said to be worth about £40 million.
By David Owen
April 7 – Premier League champions-elect Manchester City plunged heavily into the red during the covid-impacted 2019-20 season, posting a king-sized pre-tax loss of £125.1 million.
April 7 – Ten clubs from the English Football League Championship placed under a transfer embargo last month are arguing that the English Football League (EFL) rules have not taken into account new government rules on company filings and that they are being unlawfully restricted.
By David Owen
April 5 – The high cost of escaping the second-tier Championship for the Premier League’s promised land has been highlighted once again, with Leeds United posting a pre-tax loss of a stunning £62.4 million for its promotion season.
By David Owen
April 5 – Burnley, the English Premier League club recently taken over by Jersey-incorporated Velocity Sports, an entity controlled by new club chairman Alan Pace, has joined the select group of top-flight teams to have turned a profit in 2019-20 – albeit a tiny one.