The big four English football clubs - Manchester United,
Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool - are looking forward to 2007
providing them with even more riches.
New revenue streams and investment capital for the quartet seem
inevitable, as they look to match their on-field endeavours with
new financial goals off it, maximising income from as many sources
as possible. All four are in the second phase of the lucrative
Champions League, and a new Premiership TV deal will kick in this
year.
But a well-timed tackle from across the English Channel, in the
form of ex-French international player Michel Platini, could later
this month upset the financial plans of at least one of these major
footballing brands.
In London Chelsea has been launching its new Chinese-language
website as part its world domination plans, while Arsenal is
reaping the extra ticket and hospitality income from its new,
bigger, Emirates Stadium. In the North West, Liverpool is chasing a
potentially lucrative takeover deal with Dubai International
Capital (DIC), while at Manchester United the Glazers are still
taking in the fact that the new TV Premiership deal goes well
beyond their wildest expectations.
Platini, president of European football body Uefa manifesto will be
causing some sleepless nights at Stamford Bridge, Old Trafford,
Anfield and Emirates Stadium. For part of his proposal is to reduce
the number of Champions League positions available to a maximum of
three per country.
"Let us introduce a maximum limit of three clubs qualifying
directly from each country, to enable more nations to take part,"
midfielder-turned-administrator Mr Platini says. That would lead to
the loss of one Champions League place each in England, Italy and
Spain, which currently enjoy four slots, with the three places
released available to other countries.
The Champions League is the money-making machine of modern football
and it is crucially important for leading European clubs to be part
of it. "The big four clubs should be very worried about this, even
if any changes take time to implement.
"We have four big guns in England and someone is going to lose out
on up to £30m a season now that Platini is elected."
As well as the lurking Champions League issue, other possible
financial pitfalls face the big four.
At Liverpool, the proposed takeover has still to be completed and
looks like becoming more of a Glazer-style deal - largely funded by
debt, than an Abramovich-type deal, which sees a benefactor pouring
limitless cash into the club. Whatever the final deal though, it
appears it will not be the £450m straight equity injection that had
initially been envisaged when DIC first expressed an
interest.
Meanwhile Chelsea may be on the receiving end of Uefa proposals, in
line with the recent Independent European Sports Review, to limit a
club's wages to an as-yet-unspecified proportion of turnover. If
Uefa take the issue to the EU, it could end the unlimited transfer
budget available to Chelsea.
And Arsenal - which went heavily overdrawn to build its Emirates
Stadium - and Manchester United, have to keep servicing their
debts, which could leave them unable to financially compete for the
services of the best global players.
Now all four are waiting to see if Platini - who says "I don't
divide soccer between the rich and the poor" - is about to disrupt
their income from Champions League football.
