While Europe and some of the other countries in the world gears up for their individual Premier League Seasons, Forbes have come out with their latest edition of the most expensive football clubs of 2015, naming it ‘Richest Football Clubs 2015’.
While many names in the top 10 list would not surprise many, there are few names which might jolt few looking at the fact that despite them being in the most valuable soccer clubs 2015, the team’s performance has not matched up to the team’s so-called ‘value.’
Here is a list of these top 10 most expensive soccer clubs in the world of 2015 in reverse order of value.
10) AC Milan – Italy
Owner/Controlling Shareholder: Silvio Berlusconi
2015 - Value: $775 million Revenue: $339 million
2014 - Value: $856 million Revenue: $343 million
In 2014 Italian football club, AC Milan had an annual turnover of $343 million and clubs total value was estimated at $856 million. They had also renewed their jersey sponsorship with Emirates Airline which on an average gave the club a contract of $23 million a season for the tenure of five years.
09) Juventus – Italy
Owner/Controlling Shareholder: Agnelli family
2015 - Value: $837 million Revenue: $379 million
2014 - Value: $850 million Revenue: $353 million
Italian Premier League 2014-15 champions Juventus is the third oldest club in the league and has performed at top level for past few seasons, the team’s 2014 annual turnover was $353 million and their total value for the season was at $850 million. The club had also extended their sponsorship with Goodyear Tyres and Fiat Group and had captured their third-consecutive domestic league title which helped them maintain their top 10 ranking in the list despite a drop in club’s revenue.
08) Liverpool – England
Owner/Controlling Shareholder: John Henry, Tom Werner
2015 - Value: $982 million Revenue: $415 million
2014 - Value: $691 million Revenue: $313 million
Despite having a bad English Premier League season 2014-15, Liverpool Football Club remains in the list of Forbes Top 10 list of Richest Football Club in the World. In 2014, the team’s annual turnover was $415 million which despite their bad performance of the season increased as compared to that of the previous year. The increase in team’s revenue then helped to take the club’s total value to $982 million.
07) Arsenal – England
Owner/Controlling Shareholder: Stan Kroenke
2015 - Value: $1,310 million Revenue: $487 million
2014 - Value: $1,330 million Revenue: $370 million
Making it to the 7th spot is English Premier League’s second Club “Arsenal”. The team dropped two places as compared to last year’s 5th standing. Arsenal’s annual turnover for the year 2014 was at $487 million which was an increase to previous year’s $370 million, but despite team’s increase in revenue the team’s Total Value dropped to $1,310 million as compared to previous year’s $1,330 million.
On sponsorship front, Arsenal signed a new five-year deal for team’s last season’s kit. They signed Puma to be their new kit partners and the deal averaged at $51 million a year.
06) Chelsea- England
Owner/Controlling Shareholder: Roman Abramovich
2015 - Value: $1,370 million Revenue: $526 million
2014 - Value: $868 million Revenue: $394 million
England’s London based club and English Premier League 2014-15 champions Chelsea FC, features on the Forbes list at 6th position with an annual turnover of $526 million for the year 2014, the revenue of the team increased considerably from the previous year which was at $394 million. The increase in Annual revenue then in turn has helped the team’s total value to increase to $1,370 million from 2014’s $868 million.
05) Manchester City- England
Owner/Controlling Shareholder: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan
2015 - Value: $1,380 million Revenue: $562 million
2014 - Value: $863 million Revenue: $411 million
The reason Manchester City FC has been able to pay record of money amount to Liverpool FC is that the team’s an annual turnover in the year 2014 increased considerably to $562 million from previous season’s $411 million. The total value of Manchester City Club also increased to $1,380 million from last year’s $863 million, this considerable increase in team’s value then in turn has helped team to not only increase their performance in English Premier League and sign new players, but also made them jump from last year’s 9th spot on the Forbes list to 2015’s 5th spot in world’s richest football clubs.
04) Bayern Munich- Germany
Owner/Controlling Shareholder: Club members
2015 - Value: $2,350 million Revenue: $661 million
2014 - Value: $1,850 million Revenue: $561 million
With an annual turnover of $661 million German Club Bayern, Munich over the year increased their value by 27%. Team’s Revenue in 2014 was $561 million which in 2015 increased to $661 million. The team which is owned by a team fan was valued at $2,350 million in 2015, a huge leap from $1,850 million the previous year. On sponsorship front in April 2015, Bayern Munich extended their jersey deal with Adidas for another 10 years at $986 million annually.
03) Manchester United - England
Owner/Controlling Shareholder: Glazer family
2015 - Value: $3,100 million Revenue: $211 million
2014 - Value: $3,600 million Revenue: $600 million
Dropping from the peak position in 2014, Manchester United even after signing a record-shattering deal with Adidas for $1.1 billion for 10-year dual global sponsorship and licensing, has dropped down to 3rd position on the Forbes 2015 Richest Football Clubs List. Though the deal starts with Manchester United’s 2015-16 EPL season and might show effect in next year standings, for year 2014 the Red Devils made Annual turnover of $211 million and Total Value of $3,100 million which is much less than 2014’s total value of $3,600 million and total revenue of $600 million.
02) FC Barcelona- Spain
Owner/Controlling Shareholder: Club members
2015 - Value: $3,160 million Revenue: $657 million
2014 - Value: $3,200 million Revenue: $627 million
While English Premier League has most number of clubs on the Forbes top 10 list, it is Spain’s La Liga clubs that dominate the list this time around. UEFA Champions League and La Liga 2014-15 Champions stands at second position with an annual turnover of $657 million for the year 2014, which takes the club’s total Value for the year 2015 to $3,160 million. Though that is $40 million less than 2014’s value of $3,200 millions, it still keeps the club steady in world’s top three richest football clubs list.
01) Real Madrid- Spain
Owner/Controlling Shareholder: Club members
2015 – Value: $3,260 million Revenue: $746 million
2014 - Value: $3,440 million Revenue: $675 million
While Real Madrid might have missed winning La Liga 2014-15 champion’s title, the Spanish giants still hold a significant value in Forbes’ most expensive football clubs list and peaks 2015’s list with an annual turnover of $746 million and total value of $3,260 million for the year 2014-15.
