The Business of Football
Where football’s money comes from and where it goes, from TV rights and transfers to financial rules.
6 explainers, in reading order
How football clubs make money
Learn the three main income streams of a football club, why player sales are counted apart, how the Deloitte Football Money League ranks clubs, and what the wages-to-revenue ratio tells you.
Football agents and FIFA’s agent rules
Understand what football agents do, how FIFA licenses them, who pays them and how much, and where the legal challenges to FIFA’s rules stand.
Football’s spending rules, explained
Understand how UEFA, the Premier League and LaLiga limit what clubs spend on their squads, and why the rules now tie spending to income.
How football transfers work
Follow a transfer from window to registration, and understand fees, loans, release clauses, free transfers and the money owed to the clubs that trained a player.
TV rights, explained
Learn how football’s broadcast rights are sold, how the money is shared between clubs, and why piracy matters to the whole system.
Who owns football clubs
Understand the main ways clubs are owned, from members’ associations to investment funds, and the rules that govern each model, including multi-club ownership.