Manchester United Risks Fall From U.K. Soccer Money Lead

LONDON (Capital Markets in Africa) – Manchester United risks losing its position as England’s top-earning soccer club as a string of management missteps and sub-par performances left it shut out of Europe’s most lucrative competition.

After failing to qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the second time in four seasons, the struggling team has forecast annual revenue will slide as much as 11% from the previous year. That may put it behind Manchester City and Liverpool FC this year, which would knock the club from the U.K.’s top spot for the first time in the 23 years since Deloitte began its Money League report on soccer revenue.

The local rivals “have combined strong on-pitch performance under their talisman managers with investment in stadia and commercial infrastructure to deliver sustained revenue growth,” said Alan Switzer, a director in Deloitte’s Sports Business Group.

One of England’s most storied soccer clubs, Manchester United appears headed off course even as combined revenue for the top 20 European teams gained 11% in the 2018-2109 season. Spanish standout FC Barcelona led Deloitte’s money table for the first time with a record-breaking 841 million euros ($935 million) in annual sales, while Real Madrid dropped to second, according to the report.

Barcelona gained from operational changes like bringing merchandising and licensing activities in-house and is a “clear example of a club adapting to changing market conditions,” said Dan Jones, a partner in the Deloitte group.

Manchester United has been looking for someone to steer the team since legendary 26-year coach Alex Ferguson stepped down in 2013. The team is on its fourth permanent replacement, and while former United coach Jose Mourinho won the Europa League in his first season there, absence from the preeminent Champions League is set to hit revenues hard.

Mourinho’s reign was cut short last season as high-earning players like Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez failed to boost results.

The soccer giant is still lagging the leaders under manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and is currently ranked outside the top four positions that qualify for next season’s Champions League. Missing out on Champions League qualification also led north London’s Arsenal to fall out of Europe’s top 10 teams by revenue, slipping from 9th to 11th place.

Some Manchester United fans have begun voicing their frustrations with chants and songs directed against the club’s American owners, the Glazer family, and Deputy Chairman Ed Woodward, according to media reports.

Source: Bloomberg Business News