Real Madrid is Europe’s richest club- UEFA report

Spanish giants, Real Madrid, remain the richest club in Europe, according to UEFA’s latest report into football finance published on Wednesday.

The 10-time European Champions lead the way in terms of 2014 revenue (550m Euros), gate receipts (121m Euros), biggest wage bill (270m Euros) and most expensive squad (316m Euros).

Real play the team with the second most expensive squad, PSG (276m Euros), in the Champions League this week.

English Premier league team Manchester United are Europe’s top club in terms of operating profit with 140 million Euros in 2014 and fellow Premier League club Tottenham are the best net profit performers with 78m Euros.

The report also revealed that club wages have increased by more than 664 per cent over the past two decades and that player salaries reached 7 billion Euros in 2014.

Premier League clubs have the highest average wage bill, at 113.9 million Euros, with Germany the next highest on 63.2 million Euros.

UEFA claim the effect of Financial Fair Play rules are the main mitigating factor in the reduction of combined club losses from 1.67bn Euros to 485m Euros.

“While we should remain cautious, it appears that the worst financial excesses of European football reported in 2010 and 2011 are potentially behind us,” said UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino.

“This year’s edition of the report highlights some notable improvements that have taken place in the last three years, coinciding with the introduction of financial fair play.”