Real Madrid have emerged as leaders of the annual Deloitte Football Money League, posting the highest revenue figure in the history of the ranking.
According to Idman.Biz, citing Deloitte, the Madrid club generated total revenue of 1.2 billion euros, setting an all-time record since the Money League was first introduced.
The biggest disappointment of the ranking was Manchester United, who dropped to eighth place for the first time in history. This marks the club’s lowest position across 29 seasons of the Deloitte Football Money League.
The report also notes that the combined revenue of the world’s 20 richest football clubs reached 12.4 billion euros, an increase of 11 percent compared to the previous season.
Alongside Real Madrid, the top five of the ranking includes Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool. The Catalan side climbed from fifth to second place, while Liverpool became the highest-earning club in England for the first time in history, finishing fifth overall.
Two new clubs also entered the ranking. Stuttgart placed 18th with revenue of 296.3 million euros, while Benfica took 19th position with earnings of 283.4 million euros.
Manchester United’s decline is directly linked to their absence from the UEFA Champions League. The club’s broadcasting revenue fell from 258 million euros to 206 million euros, and a complete lack of European competition in the current season could lead to a further drop in matchday income.
It is worth noting that Manchester United have topped the Money League ten times, most recently in 2017. In total, nine clubs from the English Premier League are represented in the current ranking, yet none made it into the top four, a rare occurrence in the history of the Deloitte Football Money League.
