Club Atlético de Madrid’s performance in European competitions in 2009/10 is sufficient to earn the club its highest position in the Money League since they were placed 12th in our very first edition, which covered the 1996/97 season.

After a group stage exit from the UEFA Champions League they moved into the UEFA Europa League where a victory over Fulham in the final brought the club its first major trophy in 14 years. Atlético subsequently won the UEFA European Super Cup in August 2010, beating Champions League winners Internazionale.

Broadcast revenue accounts for 50% of Atlético’s total income, with the key components being central distributions from UEFA and the club’s domestic broadcast deal. The club’s participation in UEFA competitions generated a total of €21.4m (£17.5m) in central distributions for 2009/10, an increase of €5.1m (31%) on the previous season. The club failed to qualify for the 2010/11 Champions League and exited the Europa League at the group stage, which is likely to result in a significant decrease in broadcast income.

Broadcast income was further bolstered by the commencement of Atlético’s individual domestic rights deal with Telemadrid, worth a reported average of €42m per season over five years, the driving factor behind an increase of €18m (40%) in broadcasting revenue. However, despite having the third highest broadcast income in Spain, Atlético is almost €100m behind its cross-city rivals in this respect, emphasising the polarisation in revenues between Spain’s clubs.

Atlético played five more home games in 2009/10 than the previous season, raising matchday income to €35.9m (£29.4m), an increase of €5.4m (18%). The club earned about income of c.€1.2m (£1m) per home game, which is about the average for clubs in the lower half of the Money League. Atlético is set to move to a new stadium, which formed part of Madrid’s unsuccessful bid for the 2016 Olympic Games, from 2013 which is planned to have a capacity in excess of 70,000 and should provide the platform for increased matchday revenues.

Commercial income is underpinned by deals with Kia for the club’s shirt sponsorship and Nike as the kit supplier. Both companies remain as club partners for the 2010/11 season.

Atlético’s ninth place finish in La Liga in 2009/10 was insufficient to secure Champions League qualification and an exit at the group phase of the Europa League makes it unlikely that the club will remain in the Money League top 20 next year. Consistent qualification for Europe’s top club completion is central to the club gaining a regular top 20 placing, and with the club lying outside the top four places in La Liga at the midpoint of the 2010/11 season a strong finish to the season is required if Atlético is to feature in the 2011/12 Champions League.

View the full Deloitte Football Money League ranking.

Source: Deloitte Sports Business Group

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