Man Utd drop of out Deloitte Money League top three for first time since 2013 as 10 richest clubs revealed

EUROPE’S biggest clubs are facing a £2BILLION price for the Covid-19 pandemic.

The analysis by football finance experts Deloitte lays bare the impact of the crisis on even the game’s elite giants.

And one significant victim was Manchester United, who dropped out of the top three of Deloitte’s 'money league' for the first time since 2013.

According to the Deloitte number crunchers, the immediate consequence of the virus outbreak was to knock £1.05bn off income for the leading 20 European clubs last year.

But Deloitte expects 2021 will see a similar impact on TV revenues and with crowds not expected back in grounds until next season at the earliest – and even then likely to be limited – anticipates the total cost will exceed £2bn.

Analyst Dan Jones, partner in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, said: “There is no doubt that this is one of the most testing times the football industry has ever had to endure.

“While no football club has been immune to the challenges of Covid-19, and other clubs have suffered more in relative terms, those in the Money League have borne the greatest financial impact in absolute value terms.

“In this year’s edition, the top 20 clubs generated an average of £363m per club, a decline of £49m compared to 2018-19.”

Barcelona remain top of the money table despite income dropping £111.5m to £634.4m, less than £200,000 ahead of bitter rivals Real Madrid.

But United’s £119.1m fall, to £509m – a consequence of missing out on the Champions League – saw them drop below Bayern Munich into fourth place, although the Old Trafford club were still English football’s highest earner.

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Other Premier League sides in the top ten were Liverpool, whose £489.9m took them into the top five for the first time since 2001-02, with Manchester City sixth on £481.6m, Chelsea eighth on £411.9m and Spurs ninth with £390.9m.

Yet the figures are unlikely to recover over the next 12 months as Jones added: “The safe return of fans to stadia in significant numbers is one of the highest priorities across global football.

“Matchday operations are a cornerstone of a club’s business model and help drive other revenue-generating activity.

“The final size of the financial impact of the pandemic on football will depend, in no small part, on the timing and scale of fans’ return.”

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