UEFA: €615m profit for the 700 first division clubs in 2016-17 (6^th consecutive year of improvement)

"For the first time, the 700 top-division clubs together generated a 'bottom-line' profit figure in the 2017 financial year (from 01/07/2016 to 30/06/2017). These bottom-line profits of €615m - profits after transfer, non-operating, financing, tax and divestment - reflect six consecutive years of improvement since the introduction of financial fair play," said UEFA, which published its tenth annual "club licensing benchmarking report on European club football", titled "The European Club Footballing Landscape," on 18/01/2019.

"Looking back over the last ten years, the report presents a clear narrative of two distinct parts, the post-recession and pre-regulation (financial fair play) years 2008-2011, and the period since 2012 when UEFA financial regulations and, subsequently, a number of domestic financial regulations were introduced. Spiralling club costs, mainly wages, sent club losses crashing from €600m in 2008 to €1.7bn in 2011. However, losses have been cut every year since the introduction of financial fair play, and finally turned into net profits in 2017," added the…