PSG plan could make it world's richest club
French champions Paris Saint-Germain have set a target of 2016-17 to achieve a staggering budget of more than €500 million ($668 m), which could make them the world’s biggest and richest football club, according to reports on Friday.
The club slogan of Ligue 1 champions PSG is “rêvons plus grande” (dream bigger), and they really mean it, according to reports in Le Parisien on Friday.
The French daily claims to have seen secret internal documents which show a masterplan to expand the club’s already fast-growing finances to the point of having an overall budget of no less than €540 million ($721 m) in time for the 2016/17 season.
Given that Spanish giants Real Madrid became the first club in history to pass the half-billion-euro mark at the beginning of this season, the balance sheet foreseen by the Qatari-owned Parisians would make them the world’s biggest club.
“Between 2011 and 2016, PSG’s income should have multiplied by a factor of 5.8,” Le Parisien quoted the leaked document as saying.
“That is, from €93.9 million ($125 m) in 2011, to €540 million by 2016/17,” said the file, reportedly dated June 6th 2012 and addressed to PSG’s Qatari president Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
As of last season the club managed by former French World Cup-winner Laurent Blanc reported a budget of €388 million ($518 m) to French authorities, a giant leap forward from the previous year’s figure of €117 million ($156 m), due to a financing agreement signed with the Qatar Tourism Authority.
That phenomenal cash injection enabled the club to bring on board footballing galacticos such as Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, prolific Uruguayan goal-scorer Edinson Cavani, and of course, David Beckham, although a fair chunk of the English legend’s reported €36 million ($48 m) short-term salary went to a local children’s hospital.
To put Friday’s reports in context, French sports website Sportune.fr reports that Real Madrid’s most recent registered budget was €515 million ($688 m), just ahead of the €510 million ($681 m) of English champions Manchester United, and Spanish rivals Barcelona with €508 million ($678 m).
In Italy, AC Milan reported a budget of €276 million ($369 m), and Turin rivals Juventus, €274 million ($366 m). Even European champions Bayern Munich are poor compared to PSG, with a budget of €360 million ($480 m).
Next up for the “big-dreaming” Paris favourites, however, is the rather more earth-bound matter of a home Ligue 1 tie against mid-table Nice on Saturday at 5pm local time.
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The club slogan of Ligue 1 champions PSG is “rêvons plus grande” (dream bigger), and they really mean it, according to reports in Le Parisien on Friday.
The French daily claims to have seen secret internal documents which show a masterplan to expand the club’s already fast-growing finances to the point of having an overall budget of no less than €540 million ($721 m) in time for the 2016/17 season.
Given that Spanish giants Real Madrid became the first club in history to pass the half-billion-euro mark at the beginning of this season, the balance sheet foreseen by the Qatari-owned Parisians would make them the world’s biggest club.
“Between 2011 and 2016, PSG’s income should have multiplied by a factor of 5.8,” Le Parisien quoted the leaked document as saying.
“That is, from €93.9 million ($125 m) in 2011, to €540 million by 2016/17,” said the file, reportedly dated June 6th 2012 and addressed to PSG’s Qatari president Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
As of last season the club managed by former French World Cup-winner Laurent Blanc reported a budget of €388 million ($518 m) to French authorities, a giant leap forward from the previous year’s figure of €117 million ($156 m), due to a financing agreement signed with the Qatar Tourism Authority.
That phenomenal cash injection enabled the club to bring on board footballing galacticos such as Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, prolific Uruguayan goal-scorer Edinson Cavani, and of course, David Beckham, although a fair chunk of the English legend’s reported €36 million ($48 m) short-term salary went to a local children’s hospital.
To put Friday’s reports in context, French sports website Sportune.fr reports that Real Madrid’s most recent registered budget was €515 million ($688 m), just ahead of the €510 million ($681 m) of English champions Manchester United, and Spanish rivals Barcelona with €508 million ($678 m).
In Italy, AC Milan reported a budget of €276 million ($369 m), and Turin rivals Juventus, €274 million ($366 m). Even European champions Bayern Munich are poor compared to PSG, with a budget of €360 million ($480 m).
Next up for the “big-dreaming” Paris favourites, however, is the rather more earth-bound matter of a home Ligue 1 tie against mid-table Nice on Saturday at 5pm local time.
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