FFP

[PaulWinch again]

I’m sure Saudi will come to their aid again.

[Rigadon]

So if the Chelsea ‘story’ is true, they are already in breach because they wouldn’t be able to sell any players between now and June?  I wonder if they just decided to take the hit on a punishment (somewhere between 4 and 6 points as we now know from the Forest and Everton cases)? 

[Gareth]

So if the Chelsea ‘story’ is true, they are already in breach because they wouldn’t be able to sell any players between now and June?  I wonder if they just decided to take the hit on a punishment (somewhere between 4 and 6 points as we now know from the Forest and Everton cases)?

Think the window opens about 14th June so they are saying there is a couple of weeks to sell to show fee in June….

You’d take the 4 points penalty rather than sell for millions under value

[Drummond]

Depends on the penalty I guess.

[Somniloquism]

I heard on radio Chelsea are in serious trouble , something to do with need 100 million profit on players by end of June.  Good news.

I'm going to stick my neck out and say that whatever happens, they won't get a points deduction.

I don't get the 'by June' stuff.  What is that the deadline of?  Google tells me that the transfer window didn't open until mid June last year?! 

The FFP accounting period runs to June. That was what did Forest over. They sold Brennan Johnson in the transfer window but outside the FFP one.

Yes it might run to June but as I mentioned, there is agreeing the deal, and there is the payment. Not sure whether the other club would be classed as a creditor to the selling club and be able to be put in the June accounts, but I doubt the buying club want it on the accounts before the 1st July simply because that is when his contract will start AND they probably don't have a load of spare change in that FFP period. So you could have a transfer of a player being in the 2023/24 accounts for Chelsea, and in the 2024/25 accounts for whoever buys them.

[Steve67]

Do we know when the next big money TV deal is being signed and does this make any difference to FFP?

[olaftab]

Do we know when the next big money TV deal is being signed and does this make any difference to FFP?

That will only make a difference if clubs agree to not blow it all away on super fat contracts for players.

[Brazilian Villain]

Do we know when the next big money TV deal is being signed and does this make any difference to FFP?

That will only make a difference if clubs agree to not blow it all away on super fat contracts for players.

It's preferable to contracts for super fat players (Ross Mc, Gabby etc.)

[SaddVillan]

Just thinking about our new front of shirt sponsor - Betano and our switch to Adidas as shirt manufacturer.

Obviously we'll be getting dosh from them - wonder if we've structured some of the payments due to be made so they fall within this season’s income for FFP calculations?

[Rigadon]

I was in a Sports Direct shop earlier (in Wales).  My son wanted to see the footballs shirts.  As expected, no Villa.  As expected, Manchester / Liverpool / Spurs / Arsenal.  Completely weirdly, the only other replica shirts were West Ham. 

[OCD]

Just thinking about our new front of shirt sponsor - Betano and our switch to Adidas as shirt manufacturer.

Obviously we'll be getting dosh from them - wonder if we've structured some of the payments due to be made so they fall within this season’s income for FFP calculations?

I imagine with Sawiris being on Adidas' board, we could probably structure however we wanted to.

[Sexual Ealing]

I was in a Sports Direct shop earlier (in Wales).  My son wanted to see the footballs shirts.  As expected, no Villa.  As expected, Manchester / Liverpool / Spurs / Arsenal.  Completely weirdly, the only other replica shirts were West Ham. 

It's almost as if these retailers stock what they know they can sell.

[lovejoy]

The adidas sponsorship income is likely spread evenly over the deal, regardless of the timing of the payments.

[Rigadon]

I was in a Sports Direct shop earlier (in Wales).  My son wanted to see the footballs shirts.  As expected, no Villa.  As expected, Manchester / Liverpool / Spurs / Arsenal.  Completely weirdly, the only other replica shirts were West Ham. 

It's almost as if these retailers stock what they know they can sell.

West Ham?  In west wales?

[Toronto Villa]

The mega deals which show Aston Villa are on top of FFP worries as 'big six' plan revealed

Aston Villa have made significant strides on the pitch under Unai Emery, becoming one of the most feared sides in the Premier League, capable of ending a 28-year wait to win silverware.

Despite warnings from outside, Emery's initial impact at Villa wasn't a flash in the pan. He has proved himself an elite manager intent on taking the club back to the top table of European football. The Spaniard has performed a minor miracle in keeping Villa competitive in the top four this season while juggling a European campaign too, given the injuries his key players have suffered.

So whether Villa manage to secure qualification for the Champions League this season or not, Emery has a big task ahead of him to continue finishing above at least a couple of the 'big six' every season. Considering the added strain adhering to top-flight profit and sustainability rules - which prevents Villa offering wages which other clubs can and splashing hundreds of millions of pounds every year - the club must get a lot right off the pitch to ensure Emery has the tools he requires to compete at the highest level.

Villa were nearly £120m in the red in 2023, but the figures contributing to what UEFA claim to be the highest losses in Europe are in line with the strategic business plan of V Sports. The club's revenue increased during the year to £217.7m, up from £178.4m.

A significant part of this increase was driven by finishing 7th in the Premier League versus a 14th place finish the year before, but there were also improvements in gate receipts, sponsorship and commercial revenue. It's pivotal that Villa take advantage of their dramatic improvement on the pitch under Emery by securing lucrative sponsorship deals which will help them remain competitive in the top six every season. And this is exactly what Villa are pursuing under Nassef Sawiris and the club's president of business operations, Chris Heck.

"It’s another sample of this club becoming an absolute big club in the world," Heck said after the club confirmed it had entered into an agreement with Atairos to become a partner in V Sports. "We will have this infusion of support for V Sports and it is going to be great for Villa as we continue to grow."

Atairos’ capital investment will primarily be used to fund growth and infrastructure investments, with the aim of creating material and sustainable value for Villa and the broader V Sports network. Atairos is said to be worth $6.5bn, and Villa claim their link-up "positions the them firmly for an exciting next phase of growth".

Villa's short-term plan is to disrupt the top six regularly. Their long-term plan is to form part of a 'great eight', essentially expanding the 'big six', who have had the opportunity to build their commercial strength over more than a decade since the Premier League football has boomed.

Two more major deals have been leaked in the media, which prove that Villa are making strong progress off the pitch. Villa's kits will be manufactured by Adidas from next season after Sawiris - who owns around seven per cent of the German company - and Heck struck an agreement.

The deal is reportedly worth multi-millions of pounds for the men’s and women’s teams, and the academy. It came after complaints from playing staff earlier this season about ‘wet-look’ Castore shirts.

Kit manufacturer sponsorship revenues have been combined with total merchandising revenues to provide as good a measure of club popularity as any, and Adidas will hopefully help take Villa into a global market in the years to come.

During his successful reign at the Philadelphia 76ers, Heck tapped into fashion, art and culture to increase the franchise's visibility. They collaborated with Nike to make exclusive shoes, which were given to influencers after they had been to games, and that pushed millions of social media users towards the NBA franchise.

The Sixers now have one of the largest season ticket bases in the NBA, and more than 15,000 fans on a season ticket waiting list. The franchise’s valuation was under $300m when Heck first arrived, now, it stands in excess of $3bn.

Heck, now tasked with building Villa as a major global brand and increasing the club's revenue streams, has also overseen a £40m sponsorship deal with Betano.

The Telegraph claim the Greek online betting platform will be the most lucrative front-of-shirt sponsor in the club’s history. The Betano deal is set to run for two years until 2026 when the ban on gambling companies on shirt fronts comes into effect.

Back in December, UEFA added Betano as a global sponsor of this summer's 2024 European Football Championship. The betting firm will also sponsor the next two editions of the Copa America. Betano currently feature on the shirts of Portuguese clubs FC Porto and Sporting CP, as well as Brazilian clubs Atletico Miniero and Fluminense.

The 'big six' have grown huge revenue streams because they are global brands, meaning sponsors are more willing to open their wallets in order to be more visible. Heck briefly explained his plan to continue exporting Villa across the globe at the end of last year.

"On the business side we have three priorities that everyone lives throughout the day and the week and the season," Heck told Villa TV. It is very important to us.

Local is number one. Global is number two and then culture is three. Talking about our fans in local, that is the heart of this club and what we are going to do going forward, all the changes in Villa Park, the construction, it is not going to be for one group of fans, it is going to be for all of our fans.

"I think when we have the focus of that fans first mentality, we can achieve our goals. Regarding the globalisation of the club, a lot of the hard work is done for us, with what Unai and Monchi has built on the pitch.

"The attention we are getting is unparalleled. It only works if we build up our content and we have something for our fans not only locally but globally. That of course turns into sponsorship."