USL guarantees $55k minimum salary for new tier 1 league in US
December 10 – $55,000 might not sound like life-changing money, but in the bigger picture of American professional soccer, a guaranteed salary at that level is a major shift.
Finance
Belgium’s KAS Eupen to join PSG in QSI club ownership group
December 10 – Qatar Sports Investments, the owner of Paris Saint-Germain, is to take ownership of Belgian second-division club KAS Eupen from Doha-based Aspire Zone.
Pirin Blagoevgrad on verge of closure after failure to find new money
December 10 – Bulgarian second division club Pirin Blagoevgrad is on the verge of bankruptcy after the club’s current owners failed to find new partners to continue financing the team.
Lyon report €200m loss with warning that there is more to come
December 3 – French Ligue 1 club, Olympique Lyonnais, has posted the worst financial loss in their modern history, losing more than €200 million in the 2024–25 season. For a club that once ruled French football, on and off the pitch, the fall from the top of the tree has been precipitous.
Swiss football’s economic footprint shows dramatic increase over a decade
December 2 – Swiss professional football has increased its economic footprint dramatically over the past decade, according to a Swiss Football League (SFL) study.
Sheffield Wednesday sale attracts multiple bidder interest, wild rumours and unworkable ideas
November 26 – Even by South Yorkshire standards, where rivalries in the steel city are measured in decades rather than seasons, the unexpected approach to Sheffield Wednesday’s administrators by representatives linked to Sheffield United’s American ownership group, COH Sports, stands out.
Premier League clubs agree new set of financial regulations but steer clear of a hard spending cap
Monday 24 – Premier League clubs have approved a major overhaul of the league’s financial regulations, voting to scrap the long-debated Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) and replace them with Squad-Cost Rules starting next season.
Clubs will be limited to spending no more than 85% of their football revenue plus net profit or loss from transfers. It’s a shift meant to bring the league closer to UEFA’s model, which caps football spending at 70% of revenue for clubs in European competitions.
Real Madrid prepares to sell minority stake
November 24 – Florentino Pérez has never been shy about steering Real Madrid exactly the way he thinks it should be run, and on Sunday he revealed a plan to change Madrid’s ownership model and allow outside investment for the first time in its history.
Rangers reduce losses as revenue hits record £94m
November 24 – Rangers have trimmed their annual losses to £14.8 million for the year ending June 2025, down from £17.2 million, despite posting record revenues of £94.1 million – a 7% rise on last year’s £88.3 million.
UEFA’s FSR regime has triggered dramatic change in club profitability across Europe, finds report
November 21 – In 2022 UEFA launched its new Financial Sustainability Regulations (FSR) with UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin saying that the “evolution of the football industry, alongside the inevitable financial effects of the pandemic, has shown the need for wholesale reform and new financial sustainability regulations.”
Birmingham City unveil plans for 62,000 capacity stadium in new £3bn Sports Quarter
November 21 – Birmingham City have unveiled plans for a striking 62,000-capacity stadium that will anchor a multi-billion-pound redevelopment in the city – a project club chairman Tom Wagner says will become “a beacon for excellence for Birmingham”.
UEC calls for 35% of UEFA’s club comp media surplus to go to domestic leagues
By Samindra Kunti in Brussels
November 19 – The Union of European Clubs (UEC) has proposed a ‘domestic media rights protection’ to counter the growing disparity in rights revenues between domestic leagues and European club competitions.
On Tuesday, the body representing the interests of small and medium-sized clubs in Europe, rolled out the policy proposal, aimed at rebalancing the distribution of television revenues, at its forum in Brussels, Belgium.
Apollo Global Management becomes majority shareholder at Atletico de Madrid
November 11 – US wealth continues to flow into the European game with American private equity giant Apollo Global Management purchasing a majority shareholding in Atlético de Madrid.
Birmingham City completes sale to US investors Knighthead
November 10 – US investment firm, Knighthead Capital Management, has completed its full takeover of Birmingham City Football Club, cementing American ownership of another storied English club. The firm, through its affiliate Shelby Companies Limited, purchased the remaining 51% stake previously held by ZO Future Group, bringing its total control to 96.64%.
Crypto coin Tether granted seat on Juventus board
November 10 – The financial world of football is moving faster than high-speed optical fibre cable, and nowhere is that more evident than in the environment of crypto. Cryptocurrency stablecoin Tether, a minority owner in Juventus, now has a seat on the club’s board.