Brit blogging from Switzerland, usually about the business of football.
Zurich, Switzerland
Joined October 2009
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A review of Porto's finances for the 2025/26 season, when they won the Portuguese league to secure a return to the lucrative Champions League, while also reaching the quarter-finals of the Europa League #FCPorto
This justified the decision to spend heavily on strengthening the squad and retain some of their talent, though this was reflected in a €20m pre-tax loss, compared to the prior season's €45m profit. As a result, Porto have lost money in three of the last four seasons.
Much more in today's Porto article, including importance of player trading and Champions League qualification, rising transfer spend and wages, asset sales, debt, cash flow, PSR and comparatives against other Portuguese clubs #FCPorto
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Swiss Ramble retweeted
Such terribly sad news. Thousands will have special stories about Mr Friar, all of them worth hearing. I worked at Arsenal for six years and his kindness to the clueless kid who showed up there left a huge mark. All time spent with and around him was treasured. Rest well.
It is with profound sadness that we announce the death of Life President Ken Friar OBE.
Since our formation in 1886, there have been many inspirational individuals who have driven our club forward, but no one has had an influence on Arsenal Football Club quite like ‘Mr Friar’ and he leaves an extraordinary life of service to the club as his legacy. One that will surely never be matched.
Rest in peace ❤️
ALT Image of Ken Friar OBE to commemorate his life with the following text: It is with profound sadness that we announce the death of Life President Ken Friar OBE. Since our formation in 1886, there have been many inspirational individuals who have driven our club forward, but no one has had an influence on Arsenal Football Club quite like ‘Mr Friar’ and he leaves an extraordinary life of service to the club as his legacy. One that will surely never be matched. Rest in peace.
Deep dive into Barcelona's financial results for the 2025/26 season, when Hansi Flick’s team won La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup for the second consecutive season, while they were eliminated in the Champions League quarter-finals #FCBarcelona
To get a better understanding of Barcelona’s underlying position, we need to adjust for exceptional items, such as economic levers and special provisions. On this basis, they have been profitable in each of the last three seasons, following four massive losses #FCBarcelona
Much more in today's Barcelona blog, including revenue growth, levers, player sales, Champions League, stadium, low transfer spend, rising wages, huge debt/interest, PSR, comparatives against Spanish and European clubs #FCBarcelona
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Tottenham Hotspur’s start to the season has not been great, which must be frustrating to their fans, especially after this summer's significant transfer activity. This has also raised the question of how they could spend so much? #THFC
Tottenham have actually been quietly ramping up their transfer spend for a while, splashing out over a billion in the last four years, which is almost twice as much as the £558m in the preceding 4-year period #THFC
Today’s article looks at how Tottenham’s spending has impacted their financials and how they can afford it, both in terms of cash payments and financial regulations, highlighting a clear change in strategy and owner funding #THFC
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Swiss Ramble retweeted
A deep dive into the financial implications of the Independent Commission's decision following the Premier League's charges against Manchester City #MCFC
A deep dive into the financial implications of the Independent Commission's decision following the Premier League's charges against Manchester City #MCFC
Today's article covers a lot of ground, including commercial growth, disguised equity funding, "sham" agreements, adjusted accounts, PSR breaches, significant spending, competitive balance, potential damages and sanctions, so strap yourselves in #MCFC
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Although the focus has been on their city rivals for obvious reasons, there were also some interesting points in Manchester United’s financial results for 2025/26, when they bounced back to finish 3rd in the Premier League, thus qualifying for the Champions League #MUFC
United’s total gross debt is around £1.1 bln, defined as £689m financial debt plus £375m transfer payables. This is slightly lower than the previous season, but has greatly increased in the last few years #MUFC
Much more detail in today's blog, including why this summer’s transfer spending was so low, impact of not qualifying for Europe, new stadium, improvements in EBITDA, higher interest, PSR/SCR and comparison with other clubs #MUFC
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