 Barcelona are reportedly close to signing up
UNICEF as their first ever shirt sponsors. Having failed to agree deals with
several multinational companies, the club have decided to offer the space free
of charge to the humanitarian organization. (30.06.06) |
| Nàstic's surprising promotion to the top
flight has come a bit too early for them. Together with the Tarragona town
council, the club have been planning to move to a new stadium in a couple of
years time, but now they will have to make hasty improvements to the Nou Estadi
to accommodate the increased demand for season tickets. (28.06.06) |
| A group of local businessmen are reportedly in
talks to buy Málaga from the current shareholders, although they
apparently consider that the asking price of €30 million is too high given
that the club has debts amounting to €24 million. (20.06.06) |
| Players from Celta Vigo are considering
denouncing the club to the AFE after they failed to receive payments due for
signing on fees. Management said that the payments will be made in the next few
days, but if debts are not settled by the end of July then the club could even
be relegated under league rules. (18.06.06) |
| Valencia president Juan Soler announced that the
club's new stadium will be ready by the end of the 2008/9 season. The
architectural project has already been approved, and the ground will house a
pioneering sports and leisure complex "similar to those which already exist in
the United States' NBA". (15.06.06) |
| Sporting Gijón's long suffering players
took another blow when the tax authorities levied a €660,000 tax bill on
their 2004/5 salaries. It appears the club paid the amounts to the players at
the time without paying over the corresponding retention to the tax man.
(14.06.06) |
| SD Compostela has been wound up by the courts and
their assets auctioned off to pay off part of the debt to creditors. The club
have been sinking further and further into debt after being relegated from the
first division in 1998, and last season they were playing in the minor regional
divisions. (07.06.06) |
| Good news at last for the Canary Island sides.
Las Palmas president Miguel Angel Ramírez reported that the club had
already got together €15 million in guarantees in order to back a loan to
pay off creditors. And Tenerife agreed a €30 million loan with a local
savings bank which will enable them to pay off 50% of their debt. (31.05.06)
|
| Zaragoza's long standing president Alfonso Solans
is stepping down after ten years and will be selling his shares to a local
group of investors. The new shareholders are expected to inject funds into the
club. (25.05.06) |
| Enrique Ortíz, the largest shareholder of
Hércules, has bought back the shares he sold to the Roig family only
last October. Discrepancies over signings and other issues have lead to the
agreement, with the shares changing hands virtually free of charge in exchange
for freeing the family from the financial guarantees they gave at the time.
(17.05.06) |
| Levante are hoping to make €50 million from
the sale of a parcel of land alongside their stadium. After 3 years of
negotiations, the relevant building permits have been obtained from the local
council in Valencia, and the club are close to selling to a local constructor.
(24.04.06) |
| Real Madrid's outgoing president Florentino
Pérez handed over a healthy club to his successor Fernando
Martín, according to an internal report, and the club's debt has been
reduced from €271 million to €124 million over the last four years.
However Getafe president Angel Torres, a lifelong Real Madrid fan, says that
the real debt is much higher. (10.04.06) |
| Referees are threatening to go on strike after
failing to collect their salaries for the last two months. A dispute between
the RFEF and the LFP is the apparent cause, both bodies claiming that the fault
is the responsibility of the other. With the big derby match between Barcelona
and Real Madrid coming up, a solution will most certainly be found. (25.03.06)
|
| A judge has ruled that Iban Zubiaurre's agent and
subsequently Athletic Bilbao must pay Real Sociedad €5 million as
compensation for the signing of the full back. Real had been claiming the full
buy out clause of €30 million, but Athletic said they had hoped that the
buy out clause would be waived. Both clubs are expected to appeal. (11.03.06)
|
| Getafe have ambitious plans to build a 25,000
seater arena to replace their Alfonso Pérez stadium. The current
facilities are rented from the local council, but club president Angel Torres
wants his own ground and already has plans on his desk to construct the
stadium, together with offices and training facilities. (20.02.06) |
| Real Sociedad are hoping that a €13.4
million capital increase will see them out of financial difficulties. The new
shares will be offered first to existing shareholders and then season ticket
holders before being thrown open to the public in June. No shareholder will be
allowed to hold more than 2% of the club however. (17.02.06) |
| Betting company Betandwin have withdrawn their
offer to sponsor Barcelona's shirts. After over a year of negotiations the
company have finally decided to call it a day and look elsewhere. Certain
members of Barça's management team had ethical objections to the move,
which would have been the first time the club had sold shirt space. Alternative
sponsors are still being considered. (16.02.06) |
| Real Madrid is the richest club in the world,
according to the Deloitte's "Football Money League", at least in terms of
income. The club's turnover increased to €276 million in the 2004/5
season, beating Manchester United for the first time. Barcelona are sixth with
€208 million, and Valencia 19th with €85 million. (15.02.06)
|
| Betis president Manuel Ruíz de Lopera
doesn't miss a trick when it comes to money. After his side won the Copa del
Rey last season, Don Manuel had been keeping the trophy at his home, only
bringing it out for occasional visits to supporters clubs. However with the cup
due to be returned next month in time for the next edition, the club will be
putting it on display at the ground. Fans though will have to pay eight euros a
time if they want a photograph of themselves with the trophy for their
souvenirs. (11.02.06) |
| Spain's footballers have another incentive for
making the World Cup squad. The 23 players and four managers would each earn
€540,000 in bonuses for winning the competition, or otherwise
€360,000 for making the final, €210,000 the semi-finals or
€90,000 the quarter finals. The Federation are currently in talks with
insurance companies to cover the risk. (10.02.06) |
| The LFP have reached an agreement with their
major creditor Antena 3 to pay off the €25 million debt over a period of
eight years or so. The pact means that they will not have to file for
insolvency, although they are not completely in the clear as a second legal
case with Telecinco is still pending. (09.02.06) |
| Cádiz have signed a contract with cinema
chain Cinesur for them to show the Andalusian side's away games on a giant
screen at their ground. The club have one of the largest and most enthusiastic
following in La Liga, and for €3.80 their fans can now watch their
favourites every weekend. (08.02.06) |
| Espanyol's shareholders re-elected club president
Daniel Sánchez Llibre for another five years in a hot tempered general
meeting which lasted six hours. The local businessman got almost 60% of the
vote against his opponent Claudio Bern, who had promised to take on Camacho as
managing director and bring back Sergio from Deportivo. (07.02.06) |
| The "Liga de Fútbol Profesional", the
Spanish league's ruling body, is considering filing for protection from
creditors after the courts made a €25 million ruling against them in
favour of television channel Antena 3. The LFP have been fighting with Antena 3
and Telecinco over TV rights for some 14 years, but after many appeals they are
being forced to pay up, which they say they are unable to do. The situation
will not however affect the running of the competition. (03.02.06) |
| Real Madrid are still in talks with players'
representatives over the bonuses for winning titles. Reports suggest that each
member of the squad stands to gain €500,000 for winning the Champions
League, €300,000 for the Spanish league and €50,000 for the Spanish
Cup. If they manage the treble it could cost Madrid some €20 million,
although the club will also increase their takings considerably as a result.
(01.02.06) |
| Alavés shareholders approved the annual
accounts at their general meeting today. President Dmitri Piterman reported a
net profit of €133,000, although that was mainly due to a revaluation of
players amounting to €3.8 million. The club still has €6.5 million in
short term debts and has agreed terms with the tax authorities to settle an old
outstanding debt over five years. (30.01.06) |
| The president of the Canary Islands coalition,
Paulino Rivero, said that he would do all he could to ensure the survival of CD
Tenerife. The local government have already assisted the club in the relevant
permits for the sale of their training ground. (25.01.06) |
| Elche's new president José Sepulcre told a
press conference that the economic future of the club is assured, despite the
recent resignation of his predecessor Ramón Sánchez. A recently
approved capital increase will still be going ahead. (23.01.06) |
| Ciudad Murcia's gate money for the next two
matches has been embargoed by a photocopier company, who are owed some 3,300
euros by the club. (21.01.06) |
| Barcelona announced a mid-season profit of
€10.3 million in the period from July to December 2005. Economic
vice-president Ferran Soriano said the results, which were in line with budget,
were due to the continuing good form of the team which had brought about
increased income from television rights and other sources. (20.01.06)
|
| Atlético Madrid have signed a protocol for
the construction of their new "ciudad deportiva" training centre in
Alcorcón, on the outskirts of the capital. (19.01.06) |
| Oviedo shareholders approved the previously
mentioned capital decrease in their AGM today. Meanwhile the local town council
have turned down a request for them to participate in a new share increase, and
the fan club association have decided just to "get on with supporting the club"
after an attempt to buy a packet of shares from one of the shareholders failed.
(17.01.06) |
| Reports that Barcelona had signed a shirt
sponsorship deal with an internet betting company were refuted by the club
today. A spokesman stated that rumours of a deal worth up to €60 million
over four years were false. (15.01.06) |
| Las Palmas have been saved by an unnamed sponsor,
who will be paying out the €21 million outstanding debts owed by the club.
The Canary Islanders reached an agreement with creditors to reduce their debts
by half and settle the remaining amounts by April. (11.01.06) |
| Some good news at last for Real Sociedad. Their
shareholders meeting agreed a capital increase of €13.4 million, and the
regional Diputación de Guipúzcoa have agreed a sponsorship deal
with the club worth €6 million over the next three years. Meanwhile the
players have agreed to take a cut in wages to help out the cash strapped club.
(31.12.05) |
| A pair of David Beckham's boots fetched
€125,000 in an action for charity which was held in Norway this week. The
funds will be going to help the earthquake victims in Pakistan. (30.12.05)
|
| Deportivo La Coruña made a small profit of
just under €100,000 for the year to 30th June, according to figures
presented to their annual shareholders meeting. Debts were reduced slightly to
€155 million, and their annual budget for this centenary season was set at
€77 million. Augusto César Lendoiro is one of the few Spanish
football club presidents to be paid for his services, receiving 1% of the
annual budget figure. (30.12.05) |
| Atlético Madrid's shareholders approved
their annual accounts which showed a loss for the year of €20.4 million
and debts amounting to €101 million. Around 90% of the shares are owned
between president Enrique Cerezo, the family of deceased president Jesús
Gil and a third director. (29.12.05) |
| Betis president Manuel Ruiz de Lopera told local
press that he had an offer on the table from an English group to buy the club.
All they would have to do is sell Joaquín and they would get their money
back, he joked. The statement was made though on 28th December, the Day of the
Innocents in Spain, (equivalent to April Fools Day in other countries), so
maybe it should be taken with a pinch of salt? (28.12.05) |
| Tenerife's debts reportedly amount to €45
million, of which two thirds are short term, and the club is expected to
propose a capital increase at their next AGM. It is unclear though who will
take over the club after the current board of directors announced they would be
resigning. (27.12.05) |
| The regional government of Cantabria have agreed
an annual subsidy to Racing Santander of €2 million a year to promote
their junior teams and develop youth football in the area. (26.12.05)
|
| Elche's shareholders backed the club's ambitious
plans to return to the top flight, approving a capital increase of €5.2
million at their annual general meeting. The board presented a budget for this
season of €8.7 million, but also reported debts of around €12
million. (23.12.05) |
| Betis will have to pay €4 million to the tax
authorities or president Ruíz de Lopera will go to jail! The taxman is
claiming the amount relating to company taxes for the period 1996 to 2000.
(22.12.05) |
| Valencia signed an agreement today with the local
council for the construction of their new stadium. The club are also planning
to build a training centre at Ribarroja de Turia. Meanwhile president Juan
Soler confirmed losses amounting to €23 million for last season.
(20.12.05) |
| Racing Santander's new owners have finally been
revealed. A group headed by local businessman Francisco Olmedo agreed to buy
out 53% of the 61% shareholding owned by the regional government of Cantabria.
The club will be carrying out a capital increase of around €2.3 million
early next year, which will be accompanied by a participative loan of
€6.75 million from the authorities and further €5.2 million cash
injections from the new shareholders in the short term future. Club president
Manuel Huerta will stay on. (16.12.05) |
| Ciudad Murcia president Quique Pina has become
the 100% owner of the club after paying off guarantees of €1.8 million
made by other investors at the time that they became a "sporting limited
company" (SAD). (14.12.05) |
| Mallorca announced that they plan to build a 20
to 30 floor skyscraper alongside their San Moix stadium which will house flats,
offices, restaurants and a commercial centre. The development will however have
to be approved by the local council, and some local neighbours are apparently
opposed to such a high building on their doorstep. (09.12.05) |
| The Madrid city council published proposals to
demolish or at least seriously remodel Atlético's Calderón
stadium. The changes form part of plans to sink the M30 motorway which runs
under the stadium and to build a tramway on the banks of the River Manzanares
which flows alongside the ground. Meanwhile it was announced that the Rolling
Stones will be playing at the Calderón after all, the date being brought
forward to 29th May, two days after they play in Barcelona and after the season
has finished. (05.12.05) |
| The election of a new president at Espanyol will
have to wait a bit longer after a general meeting had to be called off at the
last minute due to a failure in the computerised voting system. Over 2,200
shareholders were already in the conference hall ready to decide between
existing president Daniel Sánchez Llibre and contender Claudio Biern,
but when they threw the switch nothing happened! (02.12.05) |
| Real Sociedad are hoping that their fans will be
able to help them out of their financial difficulties. Season ticket prices
will be going up between 30% and 50% next year, and a capital increase is being
proposed at the upcoming AGM to try and attract supporters to invest. €510
euros will buy five shares and a voting right in the club. (30.11.05)
|
| Reports have appeared recently in the Spanish and
Russian press that Chelsea's multi-millionaire owner Roman Abramovic is
interested in investing in Espanyol via a third party. (25.11.05) |
| Real Oviedo shareholders have agreed a 54%
capital reduction in order for the club to avoid being wound up. A combination
of poor results and financial difficulties took the Asturian side down from the
first division to the regional third, but last year they won promotion back to
the second division B. (23.11.05) |
| The saga continues at Real Murcia, who have had
an embargo slapped on them by a local judge after failing to reach an out of
court settlement in their dispute with other clubs over television rights. The
embargo for €6.5 million extends to gate money, publicity income transfer
fees etc., but the club will be appealing to a higher court to have the ruling
overturned. (18.11.05) |
| Málaga's management have denied that they
are in conversations to sell the club to a British investor. President
Serafín Roldán said on the club's website that he and his team
wanted to stay on to continue developing an ambitious project at the South
coast side. (15.11.05) |
| Barcelona still want to put publicity on their
shirts next season, even though the deal with China fell through. Club
president Joan Laporta said that Real Madrid had recently closed a deal with
BenQ for €100 million over the next four seasons, and he was hoping to
find a sponsor willing to pay a similar amount. (13.11.05) |
| The Cantabrian regional government are still
looking for buyers for Racing Santander. The latest interest is from an Italian
investor Eduardo Longarini who would keep Manuel Huerta on as president,
although English and Swedish groups and the Spanish Pelayo and Olmedo
organizations are still involved in talks. (12.11.05) |
| Sporting Gijón's problems continue, and
the club's administrators have announced they will be taking legal steps to
reduce staffing levels, including the laying off of three players, Blin,
Casquero and Alvaro. (09.11.05) |
| Lorca have begun the process of converting the
club in to a sporting limited company (SAD), a requirement for newly promoted
second division teams in Spain. The Murcia based side have until the end of the
season to raise the necessary capital, which they estimate at around €2
million. (05.11.05) |
| Some light at the end of the tunnel at Las Palmas
after the legal administrators and management managed to negotiate a reduction
and rescheduling of amounts owing to creditors. The original debt of around
€60 million has been cut by half, and the club hopes that a local sponsor
will help to reduce this even further. (02.11.05) |
| Espanyol's shareholders and sponsors have bought
a 60 seater private plane for the team to travel in. The idea to buy the
€18 million Bombardier CRJ700 came about after the squad suffered long
delays on schedule flights to and from matches. (26.10.05) |
| The players of relegated Algeciras finally
received their first salary cheques of the season after the hard up club
received funds from te local council and a loan from a local savings bank.
(21.10.05) |
| Atlético Madrid have secret ambitions to
reach the Champions League spots next season. At least that is the conclusion
from the latest bit of news to come out of the Calderón stadium, where
the club have turned down a €360,000 offer from a promoter to host a
Rolling Stones concert on 10th August next year, a date which coincides with
the play-off round of the European competition. (19.10.05) |
| Real Sociedad are suffering serious financial
problems after the previous management team left new president Miguel Fuentes
with a huge debt. The club announced that they owe some €31 million, and
are forecasting further losses of around €13 million this season.
(17.10.05) |
| Francisco Roig is the new major shareholder of
Hércules. The ex president of Valencia and brother of the president of
Villarreal bought out 30% of the club, and has installed his 24 year old son
Alfonso as managing director. (15.10.05) |
| Espanyol have finally signed the syndicated loan
of €55 million which they set up to reschedule debt and finance their new
stadium. The syndicate involved five financial organizations, headed up by the
Caixa savings bank. (13.10.05) |
| Sporting Gijón's legal administrators have
calculated the outstanding debt at €51 million, almost half of which is
due to the local tax man. The club is trying to reach an agreement with
creditors to avoid it's dissolution. (11.10.05) |
| Villarreal president Fernando Roig confirmed that
the Madrigal stadium could change it's name to the "Estadio de la
Cerámica" if local ceramics companies sponsor the club. (07.10.05)
|
| Algeciras could be saved by an investor from the
Spanish enclave of Ceuta. The businessman has offered to pay part of the
overdue wages to players, who locked themselves into the changing rooms as a
protest. (06.10.05) |
| Lleida are the latest club to have difficulties
paying wages. Players have protested that they are still owed money from last
season. (05.10.05) |
| Real Madrid presented a clean set of accounts to
a general meeting yesterday. President Florentino Pérez explained that
they had made a net profit of €8 million in the year to 30th June, and
their bank debt had remained at zero. Meanwhile the club have inaugurated the
first phase of their new sports centre which is being built on the outskirts of
the city. Their B team Castilla will be playing their home games at the centre
from now on. (03.10.05) |
| Valencia president Juan Soler has announced that
the days of the big signings are over, at least for now. After reporting losses
of €24 million, due in large part to high wages and amortization of
transfer fees, the club has decided to impose strict rules on spending from now
on. The situation is expected to change in a couple of years or so though when
their Mestalla stadium is sold and a new ground is built, plans for which are
already underway. (29.09.05) |
| Athletic Bilbao president Fernando Lamikiz said
today on local radio that the club is hoping to raise around €2 million a
year by putting publicity on their shirts, and that the new San Mamés
stadium would be ready for the 2009-2010 season. (27.09.05) |
| With ordinary income reaching €300 million
in the 2004/5 season, Real Madrid announced that they are now the highest
earners amongst sporting organizations. The figure tops Manchester United's
€250 million, and American basketball side Dallas Mavericks' €210
million. Next year's budget will rise to €346 million, with wages and
salaries representing 47% of the total. (21.09.05) |
| Espanyol denied that the taxman is about to
impose an embargo on the club's training facilities at Sant Adría. The
club reportedly owe around €9 million in back taxes, but hope to settle
the debt with a new syndicated credit which they are currently negotiating with
local banks. (08.09.05) |
| The Spanish Football Federation have offered
compensation totalling €600,000 to the lower division clubs who have been
affected by the late changes in the Copa Del Rey competition. Each club will
receive a sum of around €24,000. (02.09.05) |
| The Cantabrian regional government are anxious to
sell their majority shareholding in Racing Santander as soon as possible.
Offers are on the table from International Sport Management, a local real
estate agent Pelayo and a third unnamed investment group from the United
States. (31.08.05) |
| Newly promoted Hércules are hoping to buy
back their Rico Pérez stadium before the year is out. The Alicante based
club were forced to sell the ground to the local council for €5 million
some years ago to bail them out of difficulties, but sound financial management
has put them in a position to repurchase. (25.08.05) |
| Barcelona president Joan Laporta announced to the
club's general meeting that they had made a net profit of €37 million in
the 2004/5 season, and that the budgeted turnover for next season would amount
to €241 million. Over half of the profit came from the sale of land, as
mentioned earlier in these pages. (20.08.05) |
| Ex Real Madrid president Lorenzo Sanz has become
the new general manager of third division's Granada C.F. after buying in to the
club. Financial difficulties have contributed to the club's fall from the first
division over the last 20 years, but Sanz is hoping to return them to their
former glory. (17.08.05) |
| Castellón will have to increase their
share capital by around €2 million if they are to stay in the second
division next season. Newly promoted clubs have 12 months to meet certain
minimum requirements as set by league regulations. (14.08.05) |
| Espanyol have been fined €1 million for
failing to give first option to Recreativo Huelva for the transfer of striker
Raúl Molina. Due to an oversight the club overlooked the penalty clause
in a loan contract when they agreed terms with Xerez, and have had to pay the
penalty. (09.08.05) |
| The managing director of Caja Canarias, a long
time supporter of Tenerife, said that the future of the club was assured by the
fact that they would be able to sell part of their training facilities for
development. (05.08.05) |
| Osasuna have reached a provisional agreement with
the regional government to change the name of their stadium to the Reyno de
Navarra stadium in exchange for grants of around €1.5 million a year for
the next three years. The proposal will be put to an extraordinary general
meeting in the near future. (31.07.05) |
| Barcelona announced that plans to put publicity
from the Chinese Olympic committee on their shirts had hit snags, and it was
possible now that they would not be going ahead with the deal. Meanwhile it was
confirmed that their directors will not have to give personal guarantees of 15%
of their annual budget (required under the sporting companies act), as the club
had made sufficient profits in the last two years. (27.07.05) |
| Lleida will be able to meet the minimum capital
requirements laid down by league regulations after their largest shareholder
Tatxo Benet put up the necessary guarantees. A call to fans to put in the money
had fallen on deaf ears, and the 31st July deadline was rapidly approaching.
(25.07.05) |
| Bernd Schuster was awarded compensation of
€94,000 in settlement of his contract after he was fired by Levante last
season. The ex coach was claiming an amount of one million euros, but the judge
reduced his claim as he has found new employment at Getafe.
(23.07.05) |
| Alavés midfielder Quique De Lucas is
claiming €3.6 million from his old club Chelsea for damages after his
contract was rescinded. The case goes to the high court in London, although an
out-of-court settlement is expected. (18.07.05) |
| Real Sociedad's newly elected president Miguel
Fuentes announced that the financial situation at the club was worse than he
feared. The former player has asked for a full audit to be able to assess the
true state of their finances, but that the situation was quite worrying.
(12.07.05) |
| Legal administrators have been appointed at
Sporting Gijón after creditors took the Asturian club to court over
outstanding debts. Management had been able to reduce the debt burden from
€58 million to less than half in two years, but the new move by creditors
leaves the club once more in danger of disappearing. (08.07.05) |
| Castellón's largest shareholder Antonio
Bonet confirmed he has sold his participation to local businessman José
Luis Laparra, who will become the new club president. (04.07.05) |
| Lleida are still looking for a way to raise the
remaining €2.3 million share capital they need after a disappointing
response from local fans to a call for cash. The LFP deadline for clubs
promoted last season is 31st July, and if they don't meet the target they could
be relegated. (01.07.05) |
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