Member Article

Manchester United no longer world's most valuable club

Manchester United FC have lost their position as the world’s most valuable football brand to German team, Bayern Munich.

After a dramatic Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium last weekend, the club became the most valuable football brand in the world as it reached $860m in value.

Manchester United have lost out on the top spot as a result, with further losses in value recorded since Sir Alex Ferguson announced his departure this month.

The long-standing manager’s retirement sparked a brand value decrease of 2% as a result of uncertainty, while commentators expect the club to recover once his successor David Moyes proves his competency.

Statistics around the top 50 football clubs’ brand value of the has been collected by BrandFinance Football 50, who said the average brand value across to top 50 clubs is a strong 7%.

BrandFinance’s chief executive, David Haigh, commented: “The commercial transformation of the English game, which has created hugely successful global brands, had been seen as the model to emulate.

“However the escalation of player wages, poor financial management and alienation of grass roots fans has left many people jaded.

“In contrast the cheap tickets, high attendances, democratic ownership structure and financial prudence of the Bundesliga now looks like an attractive alternative, particularly now it is delivering world-beating, fluid football rather than the more workmanlike style German teams had been known for.

“Just as British politicians and business journalists have long been calling for our economy to emulate the German Mittelstand, now sports commentators are wondering whether we can learn from the Bundesliga.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .