Inter, Real Madrid and Man Utd the most profitable clubs, but Serie A 4th in Europe for revenue

MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 24: Match officials players and mascots line up on the pitch prior to the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Knockout Play-off Second Leg match between FC Internazionale Milano and FK Bodo/Glimt at Stadio San Siro on February 24, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Inter, Real Madrid and Manchester United were among the most profitable clubs in 2024-25, but Serie A is the fourth European league in revenue, even fifth, behind France in ticket income.

UEFA has published a report on the finances of European clubs, and the outcome for Italian football is not exactly rosy.

As highlighted by Gazzetta, the revenues of the 20 Premier League clubs reached €7.5 billion in 2024-25, almost twice Germany’s €3.9 billion and Spain’s €3.88 billion, and more than double Italy’s € 2.9 billion.

Ligue 1 narrows the revenue gap with Serie A

French clubs have registered a +7% increase in revenues compared to the previous campaign, while Turkish clubs have seen an even more impressive +64% increase.

Serie A is the fourth European league in terms of revenue, and even drops to fifth when it comes to matchday ticket revenue, which is just at €442m. The Premier League is above €1 billion, Spain and Germany are around €600m, and France is at €448m.

There’s still a considerable gap between Serie A and Ligue 1 in terms of TV rights: Italy reaches €1.2 billion, while France doesn’t even reach €500,000. Premier League clubs earn 3.4 billion from TV rights, Spain 1.4 billion, and Germany 1.14 billion.

Inter among the most profitable clubs in Europe

Eleven clubs recorded operating profits exceeding €50m, with Real Madrid, Inter and Manchester United on top of the ranking.

The biggest losses were reported by Chelsea and three French clubs: Lyon, Marseille and Strasbourg.

The Premier League is by far Europe’s leading league, also in terms of commercial income, with €2.38 billion, followed by Germany with €1.5 billion, Spain with €1.2 billion, and Italy with around €860 million.

Luckily, Serie A also sits fourth in Europe in terms of wage bill, slightly below €2 billion. Yet again, the Premier League tops the ranking with €4.8 billion, followed by Spain at € 2.4 billion and Germany at € 2.1 billion.

There’s no Italian team in the top 10 for revenues. Inter are the top Serie A side with €547m, followed by Juventus (15th) with €420m, and Milan (16th) with €411m.

Serie A ranks fourth also in terms of net equity, but 17 out of 20 clubs have a negative net equity, the worst performance in Europe.