A Guide To Financing Football Clubs: Part 3 – Future Trends & Expectations

The football industry has seen new financing trends occurring primarily as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the unique market conditions and financial pressures that this has placed on clubs and leagues. These include:

• League-level finance and Covid-19 rescue packages
• Potential implications of league restructuring and new, rival leagues on raising finance (for e.g. European Super League)
• Club level changes to player incentives/remuneration and transfer arrangements

This article series explores investment and finance in football. It is split into three parts, which examine in turn: (1) debt finance, (2) equity finance and ownership structures, and (3) financing trends resulting from Covid-19. 

Links to the other parts of this series can be found here:

Part 1 - Debt Finance;

Part 2 – Equity Finance and Ownership Structures. 

Drawing on analysis and practical examples from the previous articles in this series, this article explores the future trends in financing in football, more specifically:

• League-Level Finance And COVID Rescue Packages
  • Private sector – (for instance, Metlife)
  • Public sector – (for instance, UK CCFF)
• Implications Of Potential League Restructurings (for example, The European Super League)
  • Implications On Financing Arrangements
  • The EPL
  • Covenants
• Club-Level Changes To Inventive Structures And Transfer Arrangements
  • Transfer fee instalments and deferrals
  • Player trades/swaps
  • Incentive-based player remuneration
  • Wage deferrals and reductions
  • Tax liabilities