NEWCASTLE United has been named the world’s 20th highest-earning football club.
Deloitte, the business advisory firm, last night revealed Newcastle’s revenue turnover for the 2011-12 season, when they finished fifth in the Premier League, rose to £99.3million from £88.5m. Newcastle’s rise back into the top 20, where they replaced Valencia, is proof that when it comes to making money, the Premier League completely overshadows both domestic cups and the Europa League.
English Premier League teams now occupy five of the top-ten places. However, it is Real Madrid who have proven to be the game’s biggest money-earner.
The Spaniards became the first club in any sport to surpass the 500m (£415m) revenue threshold in a single year.
Real, who won La Liga last season, achieved a 33.1m (7%) increase in revenue to 512.6m, and in doing so have claimed the top position in the money league for a record-equalling eighth year, matching Manchester United’s reign from 1996-97 to 2003-04. The combined revenues of the world’s 20 highest-earning football clubs have grown 10% on the previous year to reach £4bn in 2011-12.
A further four Premier League clubs sit just outside the top 20 places (Everton, Aston Villa, Fulham and Sunderland).
