Deloitte's 2008 Football Money League report puts three Premiership clubs in the top five richest spots for the first time. Real continues its most moneyed status followed by Man U, Barca, Chelsea, and Arsenal. The Gunners made a huge move from ninth to fifth. The catalyst was the tremendous growth in gate receipts due to the increased Emirates capacity.
There are six Premiership clubs in the list which also includes Liverpool, Tottenham, and Newcastle. It is estimated that the Premiership will provide half the top twenty clubs in the next couple of years.
The Serie continues it slow slide. Milan fell out of the top five as the San Siro suffered a significant decline in attendance. It was partially offset by its strength in broadcasting revenues. Inter's story is similar following a drop off in season and match day ticketholders. Last year's third position holder Juventus fell out of the top ten following Calciopoli. AS Roma was the only only club that improved but that was because of its strong CL performance. The Serie's strength comes from its broadcasting revenues.
But the big story is that the Bundesliga continues to benefit from the World Cup as Werder Bremen joins SV Hamburger, Schalke, and Bayern in the top twenty. The World Cup expanded Europe's largest economy with new and improved sponsorships fueling the clubs growth as commercial revenue increased. This despite the Bundesliga having the smallest broadcasting market. Bayern benefits from Adidas stake in the club and a huge sponsorship deal with Deutsche Telekom.
More on the Deloitte football money league with club highlights >>
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