Manchester United back on top of the moneymakers’ table

Manchester United are a long way from winning the EPL but are back on top of another table — as biggest moneymaker.

Manchester United are a long way from winning the English Premier League again but are back on top of another table as soccer’s biggest moneymaker.

For the first time since 2005, United overtook Real Madrid in the finance rankings compiled by accountancy firm Deloitte.

In 2015-16, when United won only the FA Cup and failed to qualify for the Champions League, the 20-time league champions generated €689 million ($841m).

Spanish champions Barcelona had €620.2m in revenue and Real Madrid, which won an 11th Champions League title in May, dropped to third on €620.1m in Deloitte’s 20th annual rankings.

With Jose Mourinho replacing Louis van Gaal as manager, United are struggling to break back into the top four Champions League qualification places let alone win the first Premier League title since Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013. But United, owned by the Florida-based Glazer family and listed on the New York Stock Exchange, have maintained an ability to attract sponsors.

“Manchester United have had to wait 11 years to regain their position as the world’s leading revenue-generating club and it has taken phenomenal commercial revenue growth to help them achieve this,” said Deloitte’s Dan Jones. “In recent years, their ability to secure commercial partnerships with value in excess of that achievable by their peers has been the crucial factor in enabling the club to regain their place at the top of the Money League.”

The top five is completed by German champion Bayern Munich and Manchester City. The eight English clubs in the top 20 account for 45 per cent of the accumulated revenue, up 13 per cent from the previous year.

AP