Deloitte finds football wages on the slide
First drop in wages in premiership history
Deloitte’s latest survey of football finances has found that player
pay-packets in the Premier League fell in the 2004/05 season, the first time
this has happened.
Despite this unprecedented fall, the UK’s top league is still the world’s
biggest earner with its 20 clubs generating £1.3bn, the report said. Overall the
total wage bill for the Premier League fell by 3%.
The report also found that the Red Devils – Manchester United – was again the
biggest revenue earner with £159m, despite losing out to Chelsea for the
premiership crown in the last two years.
Chelsea earned £149m, Liverpool – following its Champions League victory –
earned £122m while Arsenal came fourth – equalling its current league position –
with £115m.
Dan Jones, partner in sports business at Deloitte said the 3% reduction in
the total wage costs for Premiership clubs ‘provides a stark contrast’ to the
20% growth experienced in previous years.
He said the latest analysis further supported the improving balance between
revenue and costs, not just in England, but also across Europe.