United 'will top Real in revenue table'

A football finance report has predicted Manchester United will soon generate more revenue than any other club and a top analyst believes matches staged abroad would bring in even more money.

United's income increased by 30 per cent to £212 million during the 2006/07 season, leaving them second in the international revenue table behind Real Madrid.

But revenue at the Spanish giants only increased by 20 per cent to £236 million during the same period.

The business advisory company Deloitte have been calculating the football Rich List since 1996 and United dominated the early years but Real Madrid have been top in recent seasons.

Paul Rawnsley, director of Deloitte's sports business group, said: "Real Madrid are still at the top after an impressive 20 per cent growth in revenue, but Manchester United closed the gap and have the potential to catch Real up and take that top spot possibly next season or the season thereafter.

"To some extent, that will depend on how they perform relative to Real Madrid in the Champions League."

There are currently six Premier League clubs in the top 20, but increased television revenue during the current season could propel more Premier League teams up the list next year.

Rawnsley added: "We would expect to see as many as ten of the top 20 being made up by English Premier League clubs in next year's table."

The chairmen of the Premier League clubs have agreed to investigate the possibility of playing a 39th league game on foreign soil and Rawnsley is convinced that would make the teams even stronger financially if the brands of the league and the individual clubs remain strong.

He said: "In terms of the quality of the football and the quality of the competition, that is sustainable.

"It continues to have strength here in England and continues to grow in strength in terms of people wanting to watch matches and wanting to be associated with the English Premier League clubs and English football around the world.

"That could be fans overseas watching it on television and driving up the television rights, it could be sponsors from the USA or Asia or wherever else in the world who want to be associated with the game.

"But there is a balance to be struck. Fans want to see their club winning football matches and winning trophies because that is what football is all about.

"But on the business side of the game, clubs are competing against each other for players, and to able to get better players, they need and want to have more revenue.

"Exploiting their brand value, not just here but around the world, can generate that revenue.

"The football side and the business side are very much inter-related, but there is a balance that does need to be achieved."

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