Report warns that 94% of English football clubs are making losses

According to Spanish radio station Cadena SER, 17 clubs in the English Football League and National League would make heavy losses even if they paid their players no wages. The report highlights the growing weight of operating costs in a financial crisis that is no longer limited to bills associated with playing squads. A headline about the report also states that 94% of English football clubs are making losses.

The report describes English football as being « on the brink of financial collapse ». It identifies a race to remain competitive as a factor weakening clubs. They are said to be raising players’ wages sharply to keep pace with rivals. The report calls this trend « a dangerous mix of mounting debt and excessive reliance on owner funding, putting clubs and their supporters at risk ».

Parachute payments to clubs relegated from the Premier League are described as another source of imbalance. The support would give relegated clubs a significant financial advantage for years, while others are driven to take substantial financial risks in an effort to keep up. The warning therefore goes beyond the cost of players: according to Cadena SER, operating expenses alone are also enough to leave clubs facing heavy losses, even with no wages to pay.