The Beautiful Game is booming. In 2007, record attendance in Spain and new broadcast deals for scandal-plagued Italian clubs buoyed financial results while German and French clubs again reaped merchandising windfalls following their roles in the 2006 World Cup. England’s foreign investment explosion helped Premiership clubs fund stadium improvements and expand capacity, yielding higher ticket revenue to cover debt payments and transfer spending on players.
But the biggest signpost that all is well? England’s Manchester United becomes the most valuable sports franchise in the world at $1.8 billion. So much for Malcolm Glazer’s supposed folly buying the team for $1.5 billion in 2005. Expanding Old Trafford by nearly 8,000 seats, hiking ticket prices and locking up a 4-year $120 million sponsorship deal with U.S. insurance company AIG (nyse: AIG - news - people ) make a return to the top of our list likely next year. More...
See also: Real Madrid to offer record sum for Cristiano Ronaldo?
And this: I'm not bribable,says Blatter.
No comments:
Post a Comment