The Athletic delegate members approved, the second time, the rojiblanco club’s budget for this season during the extraordinary assembly held on Tuesday evening at the Euskalduna. The board of Aitor Elizegi had on this occasion a majority endorsement of the associates with the right to vote. About 57% of voters agreed with the 135.9 million foreseen in the income chapter and the 140.3 million in the expenditure chapter. The Bilbao club, in this way, starts with a deficit of 4.4 million this season.
The accountant Jon Ander de las Fuentes was in charge of reeling off the different aspects contemplated in the accounts provided by Athletic for the current year. The Elizegi board of directors, according to these numbers, sets the Covid impact on the rojiblancas coffers during these three seasons at -50.7 million euros. The breakdown of these losses per season is -20.8 in 2019-20, -25.4 in 2020-21 and -4.4 in 2021-22 (as long as there are no public restrictions in San Mamés)
The decrease in income from membership fees throughout these three seasons, as specified by Athletic itself, rises to -28.2 million; to -3.2 million for television rights; to -2.7 million in concept of sponsors, shops and museum; and at -16, 5 at ticket offices and stadium.
54.7 million piggy bank
The current managers of the Bilbao club also made public the evolution of the existing forecasts in the club during the four seasons of their mandate. When Elizegi and his board of directors took over from the previous board, the so-called Athletic piggy bank contained a total of 82.6 million. All this without considering the 80 million of the Kepa termination clause that Chelsea paid.
The current directive concluded that 2018-19 fiscal year, increasing the initial provision to 82.6 million by another 59.6; of which about 19.8 were later removed.
The initial provision in the 2019-20 season started with ‘savings’ of 122.6 million, of which about 20.4 million had to be taken out again because of the coronavirus pandemic itself.
Of these 102.1 million existing as a provision as of June 30, 2020, 20 were allocated last season due to Covid losses. Of the 82.1 million that remained in the piggy bank as of June 30 of this year; 27.4 have been used again this season to try to block the numbers. The Athletic piggy bank, in short, will have in June 2022, as planned, with a fund of 54.7 million; 27.8 million less than there were at the beginning of Elizegi’s mandate and, logically, from the Covid pandemic.