Real pip United as richest club, Villa are nowhere

The Deloitte Football Money League, published this morning has put Real Madrid as top of the football income generators.

For the past eight years Manchester United have been at the top but Madrid have literally doubled revenue in the past five years and it's no coincidence that if Beckham was still at United there would be no change.

Eight English clubs (income in brackets), United (?166.4mn), Chelsea (?149.1mn), Liverpool (?122.4mn), Arsenal (?115.7mn), Newcastle (?87.1mn), (Spurs ?70.6mn), Man City (?60.9mn) and Everton (?60mn) made the list that Doug Ellis was so proud of making.

With income of ?51.6mn for the last financial year Villa were ?4.5mn from making the list. Based on the previous financial year revenue figure of ?55.8mn Villa would have still not made the top 20 with Lazio generating ?56.1mn to get the last slot.

The Deloitte review does not include the cost of transfer fees or player wages and concentrates solely on day-to-day income from football business such as ticket sales, merchandising and broadcast revenues.

A report written a few years ago concluded that 'success on the pitch generates success off the pitch'.