The COVID-19 pandemic has left Europe’s clubs with a massive seven billion euro-crater in their bank accounts, a UEFA report concluded on Thursday.
The virus-disrupted past two seasons, with many games played to empty terraces, ended an uninterrupted rise in revenue over the previous 20 years.
With gate receipts decimated, sponsorship down and television rights receipts hit, clubs suffered a four billion euros hit in 2019-2020, and three billion in 2020-2021.
Lockdowns imposed to curb the spread of the virus that has killed nearly 2 million in Europe and 5.69 million worldwide cut off the clubs’ financial lifeblood - the fans.