Belgian court winds up Lokeren with €5m debt outstanding
April 21 – Sporting Lokeren has been declared bankrupt by a local commercial court after the Belgian club failed to find new investors to solve its debt crisis.
Finance
EFL Championship clubs face financial meltdown in post-Covid-19 new world
April 20 – The English Football League’s announcement that games in its three divisions will return behind closed doors once government Covid-19 restrictions allow, will not solve what is an increasingly worrying financial health picture for the three tiers of professional football below the Premier League.
Juventus digital fan token gains 17% in first 90 minutes of trading
April 17 – The Juventus fan token ($JUV) just launched on the Chiliz.net platform saw 24 hour total trading volume pass $600,000 with $JUV volume over $250,000.
Leeds plunge deeper into the red in pursuit of Premier League promised land
By David Owen
April 17 – Leeds United, one-time giants of the English game who were lying top of the second-tier Championship when the season was put into cold storage because of coronavirus, have posted a big loss for the 2018-19 financial year.
Ashley closing in on £300m sale of Newcastle to Saudi-backed group
April 15 – The on-off sale of Newcastle United, one of English football’s best supported sleeping giants, has moved a significant step closer with reports that a £300 million deal has been agreed.
David Owen: Will the big clubs live to regret their growing remoteness from local fans?
One of the hallmarks of Big Football over the past 30 years is how remote mega-clubs have got from supporters.
Saints accounts reveal jump in directors’ pay
By David Owen
April 14 – Directors’ remuneration at Southampton almost doubled last season, as the south-coast club ran up a pre-tax loss of £41 million.
Footy.com price comparison site raises £1.6m for global expansion
April 8 – A football merchandise price comparison website based in the north-east of England has secured a £1.625 million round of investment to fund its global expansion plans.
Bundesliga explores option of turning to capital markets to raise $300m
April 3 – The Bundesliga is reportedly looking at private equity firms to raise finance of up to $330 million to help cashflow the league and its clubs through the Covid-19 crisis.
Coronavirus: Player transfer market could lose €9bn+ of value, says report
April 2 – The value of player transfer market will fall 28% if no more matches are played and no player contracts renewed until June 30, according to an analysis by the CIES Football Observatory.
FIFA plans fund to help keep football industry financially fuelled during Covid-19 crisis
April 1 – FIFA is to set up an emergency fund to assist the football industry amid growing fears that the coronavirus crisis will bring the sport to its knees.
Burnley profit burnishes reputation as a well-run club
By David Owen
April 1 – Burnley, the small Premier League outfit from Lancashire with a reputation as one of the best-run clubs in the business, managed to remain narrowly in profit last year in a season featuring its first European campaign for more than half a century.
Low wage bill spurs Tottenham’s stand-out £87m profit
By David Owen
March 31 – Tottenham Hotspur look to have posted a pre-tax profit more than twice as big as any Premier League rival for the 2018-19 season which saw the North London club reach the Champions League final.
French league short of cash as broadcasters say they will withhold rights fees
March 31 – French football is staring down the financial barrel as domestic broadcaster Canal Plus, a long-time rights holder of Ligue 1, is holding up the release of a scheduled €110 million payment.
Flamengo seek Copa Libertadores advance to smooth out cashflow
March 27 – Flamengo are chasing an upfront payment of the €1.6 million the Brazilians are entitled to for their participation in the group phase of the Copa Libertadores as they move to bolster their cash flow.