Indebted league has the richest club

Spanish league in economic decline, but Real Madrid is the most valuable club in the world

The debts of Spanish football clubs exceed three billion euros, with some already under compulsory administration and owing hundreds of millions to the state in taxes alone. Despite this, the crisis-hit country is home to the world’s most valuable club. Real Madrid topped the Forbes magazine ranking for the first time in its ten-year history, dethroning English giant Manchester United after nine years as leader. The club’s value increased by 57 percent compared to last year. A key factor in this growth is the steadily rising revenue of the “White Ballet,” which reached a record 513 million euros last season. “They dominate the marketing market, the sale of television rights, and matchday income. They are like a three-headed monster,” sports investment banker Nishant Tella told Forbes.

Manchester United, meanwhile, has not experienced any economic failure – it’s just that the “White Ballet” is a bigger, more famous, more profitable, and faster-growing club than the English giant. “Real Madrid is a global brand that increasingly benefits from worldwide popularity. It has a unique position in Spanish and European football, being the record-holder for Champions League victories,” football agent Jozef Tokos told the Economic Daily. In addition to the brand itself, Real Madrid’s value is boosted by the 85,000-seat Santiago Bernabeu stadium and its squad, valued at nearly 600 million euros according to Transfermarkt.