Soccer: United still the richest

Manchester United have retained their position as the richest club in the world for the fourth year running, according to the latest survey of the game’s finances.

United’s turnover of £117m for the 1999-2000 season put them £13m ahead of second-placed Real Madrid, who were the only other club to have generated more than £100m.

While lucrative TV deals in Italy ensured rises for Serie A clubs, there are still seven English and one Scottish club in the top 20 announced by Deloitte & Touche Sport and SportBusiness (CRRCT) in their latest ‘International Rich List’.

These are :United (1st), Chelsea (7th), Arsenal (11th), Leeds (13th), Rangers (15th), Tottenham (17th), Liverpool (19th) and Newcastle (20th), while Celtic, Sunderland, Aston Villa and West Ham were just outside the top 20.

Leeds were the main climbers, rising from 17th to 13th place due to a turnover increase of 54%, while Liverpool and Newcastle each dropped eight places.

Chelsea would have been placed second on the overall list if their travel agency had been included in the figures, but it was decided that this would have ‘‘distorted the comparison with other clubs’’.

The list deals with the 1999-2000 season as that is the most recent for which full accounts are available, although it is clear that Premiership clubs have since benefited from a large increase in their television deal.

‘‘The Premier League will stage a comeback when their television deals hit the accounts from 2001-2002 onwards,’’ argued the authors of the report.

Gerry Boon, partner in charge of Deloitte & Touche Sport, declared: ‘‘The pace of football growth has been such that clubs have had to move fast to keep up.

‘‘When we compiled the Top 20 list three years ago, those clubs had a combined income of £816m. This year, that figure is 69% greater at £1.38bn.

‘‘But while the minimum entry numbers have increased, the list of top money-makers hasn’t altered much 16 of this year’s Rich List have made it each year.’’

The combined income of the 20 richest clubs broke the billion pound mark last year and has since risen by 31%.

Even among the leading 20 clubs, the disparity between top and bottom is stark with a range between £117m for United in first place and £45.1m for Newcastle in 20th spot.

‘‘Stadium development continues to be a key factor in English clubs’ football business supremacy and these clubs’ business models allow them to generate revenue from those assets on-season and off-season,’’ said Boon.

‘‘England’s stadia are far superior to European municipally-owned facilities and South America’s crumbling venues.

‘‘Germany and Portugal are, however, hosting major tournaments 2006 World Cup and 2004 European Championships respectively which will spur stadium development.’’

Kevin Roberts, editorial director of SportBusiness (CRRCT) Group, added: ‘‘English clubs are the most commercially developed in terms of the breadth of income streams from television, gate and commercial revenues.

‘‘But the Rich List shows that the major European soccer brands will rise to the top.

‘‘Bayern Munich and Juventus reportedly both plan to float in the near future a move that should increase turnover if the money raised is invested wisely.

‘‘Clubs all over Europe are also far more aware of the need to further develop commercially.

‘‘The giants of the game have their sights on European leadership and global exposure, and this is why the big clubs will always score over their smaller competitors in the long-run.’’