FC Barcelona has surpassed Real Madrid and is the leader in the ranking of the highest income clubs in the world. The Catalan team had an increase in turnover in the last season of 21.7%, to 840.8 million euros, while Real Madrid achieved a slight increase of 0.9%, reaching 757.3 million, according to The classification of the Football Money League study prepared by Deloitte, which analyzes the financial information of the football clubs corresponding to the 2018/19 season.
The increase in Barça's income is attributed, according to Deloitte, fundamentally to the change in the club's commercial approach, the decision to carry out merchandising and licensing activities of the entity itself being a primary factor. “Recognizing the power of its brand, the club has taken greater control of its operations, instead of relying on third parties for these services,” they explain in Deloitte.
Diversification
Concha Iglesias, partner responsible for Sports of the consultancy, points out the leadership of the two Spanish teams, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, which “although sports performance plays an important role at the level of income, the commercial and financial management of teams like Barça or Madrid is a reference for other European and world soccer institutions. “
Iglesias emphasizes that reducing dependence on the income from broadcasting rights and focusing on the exploitation of its assets (content, merchandising and facilities) has been the strategy that has given the best results to the clubs that lead the classification.
The Spaniards, the richest
The two Spanish teams also maintain a considerable advantage over the following teams, which are Manchester United, in third position, Bayern Munich, in fourth place, and PSG, fifth in the classification. For its part, Atlético de Madrid remains in the Top 20 of a ranking that stands out for the high presence of English teams. The rojiblancos closed last season with revenues of 367.6 million, after growing 20.7%.
