Man Utd rated Europe's most valuable club

Johannesburg [South Africa], May 31 (ANI): Manchester United have moved clear of Real Madrid to be rated as Europe's most valuable club by professional services firm KPMG. In a KPMG report which looked at the finances of 39 clubs based on their popularity on social media channels, revenues for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons, and success in European competitions, United have been valued at 3.004 billion euros, ahead of both Real (2.895bn euros) and Barcelona (2.688bn euros). Bayern Munich remain in fourth place, while Manchester City edge past Arsenal to take fifth spot, both with enterprise values of just under 1.7 billion euros, reports Sport24. Chelsea, Liverpool, Juventus and Spurs are in the next four positions, which mean six of the 10 are from the Premier League. "The aggregate value of Europe's leading football clubs suggests that the overall value of football, as an industry, has grown," said KPMG's global head of sports Andrea Sartori, in a statement. "While this is partially explained by football's broadcasting boom, the internationalisation of the clubs' commercial operations, their investment into privately owned and modern facilities, and overall more sustainable management practices are also key reasons for this growth." "In terms of media rights value, the English Premier League sits comfortably at the top of European leagues, although other major leagues have outlined well-defined strategies to compete for the attention of global fans," he added. (ANI)