London (AFP)
Premier League clubs have declared a cumulative pre-tax loss of £ 1bn (or just over € 1.16bn) for the 2019/20 season, shaken by the Covid-19 pandemic, according to reports. figures from Deloitte.
“The drop in income for the 2019-20 season is, unsurprisingly, due to the global economic and social disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Dan Jones, of financial firm Deloitte.
Deprived of their supporters - and therefore of their main commercial income (ticketing, sale of shirts ...) - and forced to reduce the amounts of television rights, the English elite clubs have suffered a cumulative loss of nearly of 1 billion pounds, (approximately 1.16 billion euros).
This is the biggest loss in history for the 20 Premier League clubs, whose overall pre-tax income fell by around 13%, according to Deloitte.
"The absence of supporters, the postponement of matches and the discounts given to broadcasters have had a significant impact on the revenues clubs have been able to generate," said Dan Jones.
The latter believes that "the total financial impact of the pandemic on the Premier League will depend on when supporters return in numbers to the stadiums and on the clubs' ability to maintain and develop their commercial relations, in particular at a time when many other sectors are suffering. "
For Dan Jones, this "Covid season" "will continue to have a heavy impact on the financial results of the 2020-21 season when they become available".
The absence of the public, should, according to the analyst, "be reflected more on the financial results of the 2020/21 financial year" which took place almost entirely behind closed doors, or with a very small number of spectators in the stages.
Even after record losses, the 20 clubs in the Premier League, Europe's most publicized football league, still made a cumulative profit of £ 4.5bn (or around € 5.2bn) during the season 2019/20.
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