The president of UEFA, Alexander Ceferinstressed that the latest report on the European club landscape reflects the “extraordinary resilience of European football” in the face of the pandemic and “shows that football is not only standing still, but it is recovering”.
“After losing a staggering €7 billion during this difficult period, we are delighted to see top division club revenues higher than pre-pandemic levels. This shows that football is not just holding its own , but instead it recovers,” he said , according to UEFA.
The recently published latest edition of the document focuses on how clubs emerged from the pandemic and offers a detailed analysis of the financial landscape of European football, competition and players, with an analysis of the situation of more of the 700 clubs and the data of the 140 that reported early in the 2022 fiscal year.
The UEFA highlighted this Friday that their revenue increased by an average of 4.6%, despite the continuing effects of the lockout that affected the start of the season, and also that sponsors, investors and fans are showing “unprecedented interest, which with record commercial and sponsorship revenue. 13% higher than before the pandemic” and tickets as well.
“As football goes through its darkest period, we must remember the lessons we have learned during this time. And what I continue to emphasize is the unity of the football family in Europe. We will overcome any threat or challenge through of cooperation and staying true to our beautiful sport”, added Ceferin.
The study reflects, however, “some worrying signs on the cost side,” according to UEFAbecause compared to the levels before the health crisis, operating costs increased by 11% and financial costs by 18%, and the upward trend in wages continues, with an average increase of 16%, ” what threatens the return of clubs to pre-pandemic profitability.”
“The salaries of the division’s top players, for example, have more than doubled in the last decade. And while this is not a negative trend per se, it is clear that many have compromised their financial sustainability in their reckless pursuit of success.” , commented Ceferin.
The UEFA He recalled that the new staff cost ratio, a new measure by which clubs will be evaluated according to their updated Financial Sustainability regulations, will be a brake on the unsustainable growth of costs.
It indicates so Andrea TraversoDirector of Financial Sustainability and Research at UEFAin the introduction to the report, where he said that “the imminent implementation of new financial sustainability regulations is timely and clearly necessary.”
“These should force the clubs to better plan their squad strategy in the future, as well as their debt structure, otherwise the clubs risk severe penalties. The medicine is strong, but the current fiscal context requires a balanced but robust intervention from all stakeholders,” he added.
The UEFA announced that after 14 years and from the end of the 2022-23 season it will publish two reports: another dedicated to competitions, sports and transfer data, published after each summer transfer window, and another that will present the latest data and financial trends that will be released at the end of the year.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
