Tifo Football by The Athletic

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⏱ 👁 260,026 views

Football Club Accounts: Explained

Video Overview & Insights

Try The Athletic for FREE for 30 days: https://theathletic.com/tifofootball

“

I'm in Nigeria. And I am running football business, grassroots particularly. I need more insight especially on how to raise capital.

— @billionsiyke4323

Football clubs have historically been sources of entertainment and symbols of unity in local communities. Today, they are also businesses – and as businesses, they release accounts or financial statements once every year.

But financial statements can be hard to read, so we’ll show you how.

Written by Abhishek Raj. Illustrated by Henry Cooke.

Follow Tifo Football:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TifoFootball_

“

Gonna send it to my school accounts teacher

— @qaazzxcfdewwwq123

Facebook: http://facebook.com/TifoFootball

Instagram: http://instagram.com/TifoFootball_

“

Good content. Thanks

— @fatihbakici_mef

Listen to the Tifo Football podcast:

The Athletic UK: http://bit.ly/TifoPodChannel

“

2024 here

— @shaukiekiv9983

Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/TifoFootPod

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/06QIGhqK31Qw1UvfHzRIDA

“

Crazy how underviewed this video is

— @olliolson

Watch more Tifo Football: Tactics Explained: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWYJXDKS21OE39KTymISkCrgCckZh2_sD&playnext=1

Finances & Laws: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWYJXDKS21OEcOCEjYX59zfcGYrCXFMR2&playnext=1

“

Nice video!

— @alliffmuhamad

Tifo Football Podcast: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWYJXDKS21OHj085qILmy-O2-yZqFIcuM&playnext=1

Most Recent Videos: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWYJXDKS21OGSHqQmRnREA6J11Tadn1zC&playnext

“

James, show us what cards ya got

— @JoshPhilp

1 Popular Videos: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWYJXDKS21OF841IcGORTXynu2l67jpeE&playnext=1

About Tifo Football:

“

The debt to equity ratio especially in Football Clubs doesn't tell you as much. If you own your own stadium your debt will be a lot higher than when you rent your stadium, as mortgages are included on the balance sheet but rent payments aren't. But in reality, you're as much dependent on your stadium if you rent it versus when you own it. Clubs with rented stadiums often look more financially healthy but in reality are not

— @mauricerrr

Tifo loves football. We create In-depth tactical, historical and geopolitical breakdowns of the beautiful game.

We know there’s an appetite for thoughtful, intelligent content. For stuff that makes the complicated simple.

“

One of the best videos made here

— @MuhammedGamal_Attia

We provide analysis on the Premier League, Champions League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, World Cup and more.

Our podcasts interview some of the game’s leading figures. And our editorial covers football with depth and insight.

“

Is this all going to be in the exam?

— @morondes

Founded in 2017 and became a part of The Athletic in 2020. For business inquiries, reach out to tifo@theathletic.com.

“

As a Chartered Accountant and a Man Utd fan myself...the honourable mention of 'leverage' involved in Man Utd made me laugh in pain because of the clowns who are managing my boyhood club... 💔

— @muhammedanwar8018

Music sourced from epidemicsound.com

“

Loved the video, Im making my seminar about the topic of the financial aspects in football and i'd really appreciate it if you would drop the references/articles you used to make this video :)

— @basharbadrieh2737

Additional footage sourced from freestockfootagearchive.com

#Finance #Accounts

“

all this info is on your book

— @ricardocarrillo621

More User Perspectives

how come a player contract is an asset, it is a cost that goes against the club's budget

@noahdamski6810

Need more videos like this that relate to my studies but in football terms

@LFC_fan7

2:33 - I think amortization is in the cash flow statement, not the income statement.

@aussieboy77

See the way everyone of us have a credit rating and we all have a score... Is this possible with football teams?

@hoggybhoy1967

🤣🤣how many of ya'll don't understand sh*t🤣🤣

@Kevin-11SBI

This is something myself and a small minority of supporters within my fanbase have been trying to enlighten our fellow supporters on and I appreciate you doing this story. It can be frustrating to elaborate on topics like this because often the response is, "I don't want to be an accountant, I just want to be a fan." Sports has long transferred from just a game to an actual business that resembles a portfolio credit. The manipulation of books to remain within the laws of the sports business and sometimes the outright disregard of rules or laws is something we all have to hold important if we are to have a game at all to enjoy. Providing people with how the ins and outs of the business work are key parts of that very knowledge needed. Excellent reporting as always. As a fellow journalist this is exactly what they teach us in Journalism school and it sets a bar of well communicated information into a comprehendible format for all levels to appreciate.

@liverpool12thman

You should have done this video 4 years ago for FC Barcelona fans.

@sergegaash

All i want to know is how on earth Liverpool wages are 325M pounds half of that money probably the players wages .. where's the other half goes too

@almahdialsharef6066

‘’Courage taught me no matter how bad a crisis gets ... any sound investment will eventually pay off."

@annagoldman1163

Massive corruption, worldwide betting syndicates and money laundering.....amongst other things.....

@nicolasnicolas3889

Nice, I was literally wondering this yesterday whether footballers were assets or liabilities.

@Blank-s

As an elite Football Manager myself, this was wonderfully educational. 👏

@Iron-Bridge

So this is the jiggery-pokery everybody is talking about?

@pavelr4752

The moment you compared buying up front with amortization you ruined you're while video. Terrible.

Transfer payment structure and amortization are 2 separate things, that independently and coincidinetly.

@אריבן-ת1ס

Since 2021 this is the only video you've made that interests me

I also miss the hand that used to draw your finance videos

@neyo4669

Mo looking like he's ready to roll a joint

@slackjoelyokel88

You can really tell Liverpool is the healthy way of running a football club

@redracing95

This video is more knowledgeable than my Financial Management class during my college years. Lol! 🤣

@Hafris33

Idk if this would make an interesting video or not but has anyone noticed how most of the transfers nowadays are loans + option/mandatory buy clauses compared to like 5 years ago?

@toby1106

I love how Man Utd fans are giving it the big'n online, but blind, or in denial, of the fact that the club is on the verge of financial collapse. There's no way that club can sustain that amount of spending.

@swifteh1780

So why don’t Man City get any income from TV, sponsorship, doing well in the UCL etc yet we’re apparently bankrolled by the Sheikh. Could you do a video on that please

@tremensdelirious

the new mode that will be added to fifa 23
lol

@coachhbosoccer

Me following keenly yet understanding absolutely zero, good job Tifo

@nicktyalus

Very detailed information, presentation is spectacular gets you really involved in the sport keep up the great work.

@philipwalker3300

Im an accounting major in university and a huge man city fan so watching this was very refreshing and most of this was review but just explained in football terms which was pretty cool 🥶

@preciousadesina3525

3:57 My favorite club has made another appearance on a TIFO video!! 🥳😎👍

@charlesray9674

I am studying business administration, so it’s like the best of both worlds 😂

@espben360

Could you make a video on Douglas Luiz and the impact that him scoring from corners could have in the Premier League; this season and beyond

@Electroburger

If Tifo could deep dive into Man Utd's books to confirm whether ludacris transfer fees are held on the balance sheet as assets.. that would be great.

@Jordan3Retros