In 2021-22, world football made a strong comeback from the pandemic. However, the effects of the pandemic are still being felt by some clubs more than others. According to the numbers presented by SportsLens.com, Barcelona suffered the most significant losses in matchday revenue due to the absence of crowds in stadiums. The Catalan club suffered losses worth 95 million Euros from 2019-20 to 2020-21.
Man United took the biggest hit in Premier League
As per the latest report from Football Benchmark, La Liga giants Barcelona took the most prominent financial hit due to the absence of fans from stadiums. The Catalan club lost 95m Euros in matchday revenue during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons compared to the 2018-19 revenue. Real Madrid are second on the list with their losses mounting at 84m Euros. However, the European champions managed to mitigate their losses by taking advantage of the empty Santiago Bernabeu. The capital club started renovation work in its historic stadium soon after the pandemic halted football in 2020. Fans have returned to Santiago Bernabeu in a limited capacity for the 2021-22 season. The renovation work is set to complete by the end of 2022.
Manchester United were hit hardest in the Premier League. Considering Old Trafford is the biggest stadium in the league, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Overall, the Red Devils incurred losses worth 71m Euros.
Arsenal suffered second-biggest losses in the top tier of English football. According to Fogadas, the London-based club lost 62m Euros in matchday revenues due to fans’ absence from its Emirates Stadium. French giants Paris Saint-Germain also lost a similar amount in matchday revenue. The French champions are the only club from France to feature among the top ten clubs.
In the sixth and seventh spots, Bayern Munich and Liverpool lost 53m Euros in matchday revenue. Italian giants Juventus follow them in the eighth spot with 43m Euros in losses.
Much like PSG, Bayern Munich and Juventus are the only clubs from their respective countries to make the top ten of this list.
The top ten is completed by Premier League sides Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham with 40m, 38m, and 38m Euros in losses, respectively.
Tottenham makes for an interesting case in the list. The North London side moved to a new stadium before the 2019-20 season, bringing in record revenues before the season was halted in March.
It’s interesting to note that the usual financial powerhouses of Europe occupy all spots on the list. Among ten clubs, five belong to Premier League, two to Liga and one each to Bundesliga, Serie A, and Ligue 1.
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