Chelsea postpone break even target

Chelsea were hoping to break even by 2010, but they have had to postpone their target for another year.   The need to balance the books becomes more urgent, however, as the Uefa financial fair play rules loom on the horizon.


They are expected to announce a seventh successive year of losses, but are hopeful of breaking even in a year’s time.   Losses are expected to be bigger than the £44.4m reported in the preceding year, in part because of an early exit from the Champions League last season.

Chelsea were hoping to break even by 2010, but they have had to postpone their target for another year.   The need to balance the books becomes more urgent, however, as the Uefa financial fair play rules loom on the horizon.


They are expected to announce a seventh successive year of losses, but are hopeful of breaking even in a year’s time.   Losses are expected to be bigger than the £44.4m reported in the preceding year, in part because of an early exit from the Champions League last season.


The club’s transfer spending has been restrained for some time, but wages remain the biggest challenge.   Their wage bill has gone past last year’s figure of £167m which was a Premier League record.  However, £20m a year was saved by player releases in the summer which will not show up in this year’s accounts.


Some sources of income will improve.   The eight year shirt sponsorship deal will show up in next year’s accounts and there is a £8m sponsorship with Thai beer company Singha which doubled the previous deal with Heineken.   It is helped to raise £100m over ten years by selling the naming rights to Stamford Bridge, although fans will doubtless continue to call it ‘The Bridge’.