Bournemouth’s Cherries sink into red by £10m
By David Owen
March 29 – The financial strain inherent in maintaining a highly competitive Premier League squad while based in a tiny stadium appears to have started to show at AFC Bournemouth.
Finance
Top tier Huddersfield cash in with £30m profit
By David Owen
March 28 – Huddersfield Town, the once mighty Yorkshire club who surprised many last year by extending their Premier League stay to a second season, have unveiled a near £50 million improvement in profitability for the year to end-June 2018.
Will Juve and United be on FIFA’s buy list? Zurich’s money men are not (yet) ruling it out
By David Owen
March 26 – FIFA has yet to rule out buying shares in stock exchange-listed football clubs such as Italy’s Juventus and Manchester United of the Premier League as part of its updated approach to management of its financial assets.
Cardiff to dispute any fee is due to Nantes on transfer of crash victim Sala
March 26 – The financial wrangling between Cardiff City and Nantes following the air crash that tragically killed Emiliano Sala continues to cast a dark shadow over the player’s untimely death.
Birmingham’s £48.8m gamble ends in more tears with season-threatening 9pt penalty
March 25 – In one of the most savage penalties ever handed down in English football for financial mismanagement, second-tier Birmingham City have been hit with a nine-point deduction for excessive spending and have been plunged into the relegation dogfight as a result.
Player injury payouts cost FIFA $106m, but a healthy Russia 2018 kept them under budget
By David Owen
March 22 – The Club Protection Programme (CPP) cost FIFA $106.5 million over the 2015-18 business cycle, well below the initial sum budgeted of $120 million.
Delaney’s £100k personal loan to cashflow the FAI under scrutiny
March 22 – John Delaney, chief executive of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), has unwittingly become the centre of attention over loaning €100,000 of his own money to the federation in 2017.
PSG wins CAS appeal to get UEFA’s financial re-investigation shut down
By Andrew Warshaw
March 20 – Paris St Germain have won a significant legal victory that could have widespread repercussions, with Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling against UEFA in its bid to re-open a previously closed investigation into the club’s finances.
Exclusive: FIFA gives itself permission to invest in equities
By David Owen
March 20 – FIFA has given itself permission to invest in equities as part of its asset management operations.
South America’s Conmebol reports record revenue of $227 million
March 15 – The South American Football Confederation Conmebol has reported a record revenue of $227 million for 2018 after an increase in sponsorship for the continent’s flagship club competition the Copa Libertadores, but overall the organisation’s net profit fell.
Van Dijk marches Saints to £33m profit in spite of disappointing season
By David Owen
March 14 – The sale of star defender Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool looks to have been the main factor keeping Southampton in the black in the year to end-June 2018, after a season in which the south coast club, which has supplied so many influential players to the Merseysiders in recent times, only narrowly escaped relegation.
Barca creep closer to €100m digital sports tech investment fund
March 12 – FC Barcelona are still exploring the launch of their own sports technology investment fund with the aim of raising €100 million to develop digital product that would give them a leadership position in domestic and European football.
Man City back under UEFA investigation as FFP accusations pile up
March 8 – Following claim after claim of financial wrongdoing by Abu Dhabi-owned Manchester City based on information provided by the Football Leaks whistleblowing website, UEFA has finally decided to take action and have opened an investigation into alleged financial fair play violations.
Everton turns to China as it pursues Moshiri’s Great Leap Forward
By David Owen
March 8 – Everton has turned to China as it seeks to push on with the Farhad Moshiri revolution and mount a sustained challenge to the Premier League’s Big Six, including local rivals Liverpool.
£26m turnover vs £89m expenses: Wolves’ worrying formula for Premier League promotion
By David Owen
March 7 – Wolverhampton Wanderers, the famous old Midlands club, now Chinese owned, which is enjoying a successful return to the English top flight, ran up an eye-watering £55 million loss in its promotion season.