By Matt Jones ,
QUIQUE GARCIA/Getty Images
88
Reads
0
Comments
Supporters around the world will get an intriguing insight into the monetary muscle of both Barcelona and Real Madrid in the coming days, with both clubs set to reveal key financial details.
Taking the Spanish and European champions first, the
Barcelona board has put the rubber stamp on the club’s budget, which
will look to yield a net profit of €20.2 million (£14.83 million), according to Marca. It’s also noted in the piece that the revenue forecast points toward a record €633 million (£464.66 million). The piece outlines how the Blaugrana will attempt to secure those sorts of numbers:
To achieve these figures, Josep Maria Bartomeu has set out a new executive structure for the club. The president intends to synergise all business areas to optimise efforts and strategies.
The most significant change is the creation of a business unit to boost sales in Asia (Hong Kong) and America (New York). Francesco Calvo, who used to be the revenue manager at Juventus, has been recruited as the new chief commercial officer.
fotopress/Getty Images
Marca also note that Los Blancos recouped €660 million (£484.48 million) in revenue at the close of the 2014-15 term, which primarily consists of money from marketing—this makes up the most substantial chunk of earnings—television rights, membership fees, friendly matches, gate receipts and international partnerships.
The amount spent on the playing staff is also outlined in the piece:
In total, expenses on first-team personnel were 218m euros, compared to a forecast of 209m for this season.
Separate from the sums paid to the players for their efforts, Real Madrid have funnelled 240m euros into various investments: 21m on stadium improvements, 29m on share repurchases and 189m on signings.
Denis Doyle/Getty Images
The sums still point to Real as the most lucrative side. The €660 million of revenue recouped, likely to have been boosted further by the club’s Champions League success in 2014, is a testament to their gravitas and ability to appeal a variety of markets all around the world. Indeed, in pre-season, Los Blancos played matches in China, Australia, Germany and Norway.
Scott Barbour/Getty Images
Gradually, Barcelona seem to be bridging the gap, though. Indeed, as noted in Ozanian's piece, while Real, valued at $3.25 billion (£2.11 billion), currently top the Forbes standings for the most valuable football team, Barcelona, worth a reported $3.16 billion (£2.05 billion), have closed the gap significantly over the last two years; in the 2013 list, there was circa $700 million between the two valuations.
Chris Brunskill Ltd/Getty Images
It may not be a mantle that is too important to the average supporter, but when it comes to these two clubs, every minor factor is fiercely contested. Expect comparisons to begin when this information is released in earnest in the days to come.