English Premier League champions Manchester City has set a new club record in the 2018-19 season with revenues reaching Sh69.7 billion, representing the club’s 11th successive year of growth.
The club’s annual report showed its new income level came after it passed the half-billion level in the previous season, only the second British club to reach that level of turnover.
City’s crosstown rivals Manchester United said in their 2019 annual report that they had generated a record income of Sh82.1 billion.
Man City’s report said the 2018-19 season culminated in six trophies won across the senior men’s and women’s teams, including an unprecedented sweep of all four men’s domestic titles.
The club, which has this year entered its second decade under the ownership of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, also reported a profit of Sh1 billion.
Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, describing an extraordinary season, said that both sustained hard work and a commitment to rigorous planning have been at the heart of the club’s on- and off-field success.
“This outcome represents not just a season, but a decade of hard work,” he said, adding that the organisation is now “at a level of maturity that enables the club to plan in multi-year cycles, both in terms of management of squads and more widely across the business.”
Al Mubarak emphasised the importance of being at the forefront of development, pointing to the club’s continued commitment to invest in both youth football and premium facilities.
He pledged to “continuously improve and innovate on the pitch, commercially, in infrastructure development and in the club’s service to fans and the community.”
CEO Ferran Soriano said while winning cannot be guaranteed, “we can all be sure that we will be focused, resilient and consistent in our approach.”
He added, “Victories are not accidents; they are the product of careful planning, consistent hard work and the acknowledgement of the need to stay humble and hungry.”
The club’s turnover included matchday income of 55 million pounds, 85.7 million pounds in broadcasting revenues from UEFA, and a total broadcast figure of 252 million pounds. Other commercial activities generated 226.9 million pounds for the club.
Manchester City currently sits in fourth place in the 2019-20 Premier League, trailing leaders Liverpool, Leicester City and Chelsea.