Football - is big business.

In the last decade of the sport, including football, has become a big business. This is especially noticeable in the beginning of each season, when Europe is booming around the "sale" of players. Particularly highlighted are the owners of Italian clubs. For example, before the football season 1997/1998, the purchase of new players leadership teams "A" series (the so-called national championship in Italy) had spent a total of 250 million dollars. First place in this list is occupied by Inter, who for 29 million bought the famous Ronaldo from Barcelona. However, the best football of Brazil was able to keep their high status of the "expensive" players only a few weeks. After some time for his compatriot Denilson president of Spanish club Real Betis laid out $ 37 million.
The increased world prices of players forced the world's richest club Manchester United to make significant cost. Before this season, "DOJ" bought players on the 65.8 million pounds, where there is no comparison with the figure of last season - 11.4 million. One Fabien Barthez had cost the club at 7,8 million. Had declined as the revenues of the club: instead of the 42 million he received a total of 36,6. The fact that the team has not played matches of the FA Cup, and therefore had fewer home games. And even if that sale of goods with the symbol of the club has increased and income was 2 million more than a year ago is still "MJ" earns less.
Now go to the continent. Looking at the financial reports of Spanish football clubs and the results of research conducted by Deloitte & Touche, one can notice that the debts of clubs, led by the most famous Real Madrid continue to grow. At the moment, they are already about 692 million dollars, an increase over last year at 59 million, according to report author Jose Luis Sanchez Fernandez, revenue clubs also rose by 8%, but their further growth is unlikely. The situation, of course, is not threatening, but the Spanish club must be careful in the preparation of annual budgets, as a new source of income for them are only their own websites. Best of all financial and now looks like "Real Sociedad", very effectively sell a player, thereby providing a positive balance. At the other end of the series is "Real Madrid, whose debts for the 1998/99 year amounted to 103 million dollars. According to club president Florentino Perez is now the figure is 152 million dollars. The club can easily solve these problems by selling their 4.5 players, but to suggest that the leadership of the club decides to do just that, it is premature.
There are alternative sources of income. So in Girona was inaugurated the first gas station under the name of the Catalan club Barcelona. Total planned in the coming months to build five gas stations, which will regularly bring profit to the club coffers of the club.

Football and shares

Many football clubs to release their stocks. The leaders of some English clubs in 1998, announced the placing on the London Stock Exchange of 50 million ordinary shares valued at half a pound sterling. One of these clubs Birmingham City in terms of "a football issue - 25 million pounds - now occupies one of the first places all over the UK, exactly half ahead on the aggregate value of shares Scottish Celtic and English Chelsea. It is interesting to trace the fate of the exhibited shares. First, the major shareholders, which were distributed in packets for a thousand pieces, many fans are "Birmingham". Accumulated amount of leadership of the club intends to spend on advertising team, players and raising fees urgent purchase of new players. But Birmingham City - one of the middle peasants in English football. And what of such giants as Manchester United? Representatives of this team calculated that the implementation of club paraphernalia, souvenirs, forms, etc. Last year brought a revenue of $ 8.5 million pounds. Liverpool and Newcastle United, for example, earn $ 6 million. In general, top managers of Manchester United are the most experienced not only in Britain but have no equal in world football business. That only stands alone advertising campaign to promote brand company. Its outcome was the recognition of the brand of rampant Manchester United (see chart), despite the rather modest by the standards of sports performance super clubs in European competitions.

Here is another fact. When managers have decided that in Europe the opportunity to expand sales were almost exhausted, preparations began for the new season in Malaysia and Thailand. After all, everyone knows that the market of East Asia is very profitable and it can make good money. As for the exchanges, some of the eighteen English and Scottish clubs have risked to go to the exchange, only the shares of Manchester United and Birmingham City have risen in price in six months from 644 pence to 667.5. The cost of the London Stock Exchange club Manchester United has exceeded 1 billion pounds sterling (about 1,6 billion dollars). Manchester United became the first club in the world, been able to overcome the billion mark, and also to prove that modern football is one of the most profitable businesses.
But not all clubs so lucky. Because share prices are influenced by many factors. For example, after severe trauma top scorer of the penultimate European Championship by Alan Shearer's stock price of his club Newcastle United FC on the stock exchange has fallen to 10 pence, which resulted in losses amounting to about 12 million pounds. Realizing that this leads to bankruptcy, managers of the club immediately brought to market T-shirts of famous players of his team - Woods Ferdinand and David Ginola, that replenish the treasury team for 17 million pounds.
The remaining four leading European Championships (Germany, Italy, Spain, France), this process is just beginning. Only three Italian clubs - Lazio, Udinese and Roma "- and one German, Borussia Dortmund, in the past two years, came with their shares on the exchange floor of Milan and Frankfurt. Even the president of rich germanskogo club Bayern Munich "Franz Beckenbauer still claim that strongly questioned the economic feasibility of such a step. In France and Spain, did no one club, whose shares have traded on the exchange.
But what about Russia? In late February, with CSKA Moscow, a new shareholder - the British company Blue Castle Enterprises Limited. From now on, the action of football club CSKA distributed between Macasyng Holding BV (via Blue Castle Enterprises owns 49%), Russia's Bank Eurofinance (through "ABO-Capital owns 25%) and the Ministry of Defense (26%). The size of investment in the future CSKA determine among themselves two investors - Macasyng Holding BV and Russia's Bank Eurofinance. Investors are going to attract consultants from western audit company. According to Chairman of the Board of Directors of JSC PFC CSKA now negotiating with the office of the consulting company Deloitte & Touche in the UK.
Such a big difference in the development of football business lies in the fundamental difference between the approaches to the game's number one leading football powers. For the British it is primarily a business, often to the detriment of sports results. Due to this Premiership clubs in the middle of their financial condition as clearly superior to European competitors. Financial turnover of 22 clubs in this league up to the season 1998/99 was about 972 million dollars, up 18% over the previous season.


The total surplus of Premiership clubs amounted to about $ 100 million, and only four teams from twenty-two have a slight negative balance.

Bookmakers
Much of today's football also depends on the bookmakers. Especially popular are the London bookmakers, who at the beginning of each new season offer their customers a very interesting bet. For example, in the beginning of the football year 1998, they took bets on the probability of displacement coach from their positions during the season. According to bookmaker William Hill, the most serious prospects to keep his post until next summer, has a coach Arsenal's Arsene Wenger. Ironically, despite a few losses, leaders Arsenal are not thinking about how to dismiss A. Wenger.

Eurocups provide an opportunity to earn

The biggest money swirling in the International Association of Football Federations (FIFA). Here are some examples. Each team, which won the right to speak at the World Cup in 1998, will receive from FIFA million dollars. And depending on the continued success of team, this amount will increase.
At 140 million Swiss francs rose in this season revenue from UEFA Champions League compared with the tournament - 99/2000. In this regard, the European Union of Football Association has decided to increase the bonus for participation in the League each of the 32 clubs with a half to two and a half million francs. Thus, after 9 played matches the amount received Spartak Moscow is 9.5 million francs: 2.5 million was paid for participation in the group tournament, 4,5 million - the bonuses for the 9 games played, and 2 more , 5 million - a bonus for points earned.
Due to the fact that the Moscow "Spartak" did not yield in his field to the French Lyon, Arsenal will earn 20 million pounds. British during the performances in the Champions League already received from UEFA 6,5 million, however, the successful promotion in the next round of the tournament promises big profits. Part of the funds will come from the same purse of the European soccer organization, often by advertising sponsors the team. Funds needed Londoners as anyone else. The planned construction of a new stadium, according to preliminary estimates, will cost 111.6 million pounds.
Group of companies "Itera has established a prize fund of the Commonwealth Cup - 100 thousand dollars, of which the holder of the trophy fell to 35 thousand.
Very profitable in recent years embarked on a European and World Championships. Organizers of the championships are a lot of profit. For example, the championship matches Euro-96 viewers watched 400 million, which brought $ 65 million from the sale of rights to broadcast the matches. The most interesting is that the organizers of Euro 96 limited release of a modest budget to hold the opening ceremony - only 600 thousand dollars. But this is only the European Championship.