New record deficit for European football.

According to the annual report of benchmarking of UEFA, the European clubs combined 1,7 thousand million euro of losses for financial year 2011, against 1,64 thousand million euro in 2010 and 1,2 thousand million in 2009.  

  The job of making comply of the European clubs with the rules of the financial fair play of the UEFA measures which consists in imposing participants on clubs in the Cuts of Europe to balance their recipes and their expenses on the horizon 2014-remain colossal. In preface of the fifth edition of the report of benchmarking on the procedure of conferment of licence to clubs, covering the financial results of 679 clubs of first division divided in 53 associations members of the UEFA, her president Michel Platini raises an official report without concession: «Many football clubs, including some of the most prestigious, met serious financial difficulties, entrainé with a new increase of the total losses of the clubs of first division.» 

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55 % of clubs declare net losses:

So 63 % European clubs of first division declare losses of working and 55 % of net losses. This increase of net losses, as the previous season, reinforced by the slowing down of the activities of transfers. In 2011, the European clubs dug their deficit in 1,7 thousand million euro, among which the half is attributable to only ten clubs. A new record after those established in 2010 (1,64 Mds€) and 2009 (1,2 Mds€). This deterioration of finances of the European clubs is spectacular. Their combined losses attained only 600 million euro in 2007.

The study of UEFA also underlines that in spite of the growth of their total recipes, which come to 13,2 Mds€ in 2011 (+3 % in comparison with 2010), the European clubs invested a weak part of their resources in long-term investments. The value of bodily immobilisations (stadium, fields of training, training centre and other equipment) 237 clubs registered in the competitions of UEFA this season comes to 4,8 Mds€. A lower sum in expenses allocated in the wages of the players and there relating costs in 2011 (6,9 Mds€). 

46 clubs have to improve their financial balance sheet:

The control of the wage bill remains the biggest challenge of the European clubs. Wages and there relating expenses indeed increased of 38 % between 2007 and 2011, absorbing so completely the growth of recipes during the same period (24 %). Expenses of personnel and expenses of combined net transfers come from now on to 71 % of recipes European clubs.

The exercise of simulation of the financial fair play for three last seasons (on 2009, on 2010 and 2011) points out that 46 clubs (among which probably Paris SG, Chelsea and Manchester City) from 22 countries should have improved their accounting balance sheet if the requirement relating to financial balance had been already in force. 14 clubs registered in European competitions introduced the upper deficit in 45 M€. What puts them except the nails of the financial fair play. 32 other clubs introduce a deficit included between 5 and 45 M€, what would require investments of equity capital or recapitalisation to pass the cut. The percentage of clubs declarants of the negative net equity capital passed from 36 to 38 % in 2011. One European club of seven even saw its auditors expressing doubts concerning the chase of its working.

He was understood a lot of job remains to give. But the first effects of the financial fair play begin being felt. So, between June, 2011 and June, 2012, improvements were recorded with the reduction of 47 % of arrears on transfers, wages, welfare costs and tax . Already in force, the shutter on the arrears of the financial fair play has already driven next season with the exception of Malaga for European competitions. The pedagogy of sanction seems to have the token.