FRANKFURT: Germany’s Bundesliga is continuing to go from strength to strength, confirming the off-pitch strength demonstrated on it last year when Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund reached the Champions League Final and the Bavarian winners went on to land the FIFA Club World Cup.

Meanwhile the Bundesliga recorded its ninth successive turnover record. The €2.17bn recorded for 2012-13 exceeded the previous year’s total by 4.4pc.

This represented €383.5m in operating profits, the highest of all time. Some 17 of the 18 top division clubs were in the black with turnover before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation.

On the expenditure side, salaries for players and coaches remained stable at 39pc. The Bundesliga 2 recorded the highest turnover in its history with €419.4m, a 9.1pc increase.

Some 15 of the 18 second division clubs recorded positive overall numbers according to the  Bundesliga Report 2014 which was published today in Frankfurt.

Media contracts

DFL ceo Christian Seifert said: “The Bundesliga is succeeding in the split between top level sports performance and economic rationality, especially compared to others in Europe. Thanks also to the further increases with the media contracts that take effect this season, the league is on the road to extending its position as the second-strongest earning football league in Europe.”

In total, the turnover of the 36 clubs and capital companies of the DFL also increased for the ninth time in a row. All told, the clubs collected €2.59bn last season. As in the previous seasons, the professional football sector saw increases in all central income categories (advertising, media and player revenues).

The clubs and capital companies paid a record €850m (compared with €800m) in taxes and statutory deductions.

The complete Bundesliga Report can be downloaded at: 

http://www.bundesliga.com/en/liga/news/2013/0000284518.php

##############