Mads Meisner

One of the leading lenders behind Europe’s stadium boom has raised concerns over the financing of new projects. More than 50 stadium projects across Europe have featured in Off The Pitch’s daily newsletter in 2026 alone, as clubs chase new revenue through multi-purpose venues. But at the World Football Summit in Madrid, JPMorgan executives Tim Self and Mike Carlson raised concerns over growing interest rates and whether stadiums can be delivered on time and on budget. Higher financing costs mean lenders can provide less debt, which can force projects to become cheaper and ultimately limit the revenue-generating potential that drove the project in the first place. Read the full article via the link in the comments to learn about the risks, the financing options and why clubs are still pushing ahead.

Transfer financing volumes reached new highs this summer, without the lender whose arrival drove pricing to record lows last year. @premierleague clubs committed €4.1 billion this summer, fuelling unprecedented demand for transfer financing. But Citibank, whose arrival pushed margins on the most attractive deals to record lows and triggered a price war among lenders last year, was largely absent from the transfer receivables market - contrary to expectations after its high-profile entry. Demand for financing was higher than ever, with some buying clubs even pushing their first payments into future seasons, underlining the growing need for immediate liquidity to fund transfer activity. And with Citibank far less active than expected, more of that business flowed especially to other large, established lenders. As clubs become more dependent on quick access to credit, both the availability and cost of that liquidity are becoming increasingly important to football’s financial landscape. Read the full article in the comments.

Tomorrow night, Sevilla FC and FC Barcelona meet in @LaLiga. In 2020/21, @FCBarcelona lost €481 million and @SevillaFC had just won the Europa League. Barcelona have since worked their way back to almost breaking even. Sevilla won the Europa League again, but have not made a profit in any season since. Take a look at the financial head-to-head below.

The Belgian Pro League continues its partnership with Off The Pitch, keeping relevant staff at every club in its two top men's divisions and the top tier of women's football on the daily newsletter for another season. "Every morning our clubs get a clear picture of what is happening across the football industry, and through the week they get analysis and interviews they would not find elsewhere. That has become part of how our clubs stay informed, and continuing the agreement was an easy decision," says Lorin Parys, CEO of the Pro League. The @ProLeagueBE is one of a growing group of leagues that have chosen to cover every club centrally rather than leave it to clubs to arrange individually. The English Football League (@EFL), the @Bundesliga_DE, the Danish league, the Scottish league and the Polish @_Ekstraklasa_ have taken the same approach, and together these agreements now cover more than 100 clubs. "We have decision-makers at more than 300 clubs reading us every morning. Those clubs start the day knowing what is happening in the industry. The ones that do not are finding out later, second hand, and usually when it already affects them. More leagues should be making that a central decision rather than leaving each club to sort it out on its own," says @MadsMeisner, co-founder of Off The Pitch.

AZ Alkmaar are turning their academy expertise into an entirely new business model. In doing so, they could be set to revolutionise club partnership strategies. In the space of just 17 days during the summer, the @eredivisie club announced agreements with @asnlofficiel, @FCZbrojovkaBrno and @AlmereCityFC, who are gaining access to the recruitment and development methods that have built AZ's academy success. Behind the strategy lies a proven track record: AZ have generated more than €85 million from academy products since 2021/22, while eight homegrown players have started each of their opening five matches this season, all of which they have won. Several potential new partnership markets are already under consideration and general manager @merijnzeeman is hoping to "create a community of clubs” across Europe. Find the full interview with Zeeman in the comments and learn how @AZAlkmaar intend to make the model work, and where they could take it next.

Our World Cup predictions have been updated following the Round of 32. Here is the most likely scenario for the remainder of the tournament. offthepitch.com/world-cup-20…

The @FIFAWorldCup gets underway in a few hours. Ahead of kick-off, we selected one player from each group worth following during the tournament. The criteria: aged 23 or under and not yet established as global stars. Here are our 12 picks. 👇 #WeAre26 #FIFAWorldCup #WorldCup2026

As attention shifts towards the 2026 World Cup, Off The Pitch’s latest financial efficiency rankings provide a final look back at the 2025/26 club season. Off The Pitch’s end-of-season efficiency rankings compare actual points totals with expected performance based on each club’s financial profile. @Coventry_City recorded the strongest overperformance across Europe’s top five leagues and the Championship, finishing 39.23 points above expectation. Meanwhile, clubs including @ChelseaFC, @LFC, @SpursOfficial, @juventusfc and @PSG_inside failed to match what their financial profiles suggested they should deliver. See the overperformers across europe below, and find the full analysis here: offthepitch.com/a/expected-v…

Off The Pitch projects France to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup after simulating the tournament 10,000 times. Using our squad valuations and the tournament’s predetermined bracket, our model assigns @equipedefrance a 14.26% probability of lifting the trophy next month. Check out our free-to-read analysis and make sure to stay tuned as we update the predictions on our website throughout the tournament. offthepitch.com/a/pitch-mode…

Poland's top tier joins Off The Pitch's growing league partnership network @_Ekstraklasa_ has partnered with Off The Pitch to grant all clubs in Poland's top flight complete access to Off The Pitch's daily newsletter – a trusted resource for football business intelligence. Under this agreement, all personnel at each club will benefit from a tailored morning briefing that saves them time and ensures they are updated on developments in the industry. "Ekstraklasa has been supporting the development of clubs for years across many areas of professional management. We carry out various activities that include training sessions, knowledge sharing, and the exchange of experiences — also with leagues and clubs from other countries. “Access to up-to-date global data gathered in one place, along with the ability to track industry trends and innovations, will continuously enhance these processes. Off The Pitch is a highly valued source of information and analysis, so I hope that clubs will regularly use this knowledge base. It will certainly support their day-to-day work in business divisions, strategic decision-making, and inspire ongoing development as well as the implementation of meaningful changes within Polish clubs," says Marcin Animucki, President of Ekstraklasa. Off The Pitch's newsletter is read by key decision-makers at over 300 clubs, leading leagues, governing bodies, and football investors around the world. Strategic alliance Through this partnership, Ekstraklasa enhances the information infrastructure available to its clubs whilst becoming part of Off The Pitch's growing community of progressive leagues committed to providing their members with the strategic intelligence required to succeed in today's increasingly demanding football environment. "We're delighted to work alongside a league that recognises the value of quality information in driving better outcomes. Our aim is to support the football industry with the insights needed to thrive, and this partnership represents another significant milestone in that journey," says Mads Meisner Christensen, co-founder and CEO of Off The Pitch. Off The Pitch has league-wide arrangements with the Bundesliga, the English Football League (EFL), the Belgian Pro League, the Danish League, and the Scottish Professional Football League.

Poland's top tier joins Off The Pitch's growing league partnership network 🤝 @_Ekstraklasa_ has partnered with @OffThePitch_com to grant all clubs access to Off The Pitch's daily newsletter.

FC Porto partners with Off The Pitch on financial intelligence tools @FCPorto have partnered with Off The Pitch to integrate the company's financial intelligence platform into their operations, reinforcing the club's analytical approach to the transfer market. ​ The agreement gives FC Porto access to Off The Pitch's Player Valuation Model, Financial Tool, and Salary Tool. An analytics infrastructure designed to support transfer strategy, talent identification, and recruitment planning across global markets. ​ "FC Porto's track record in player development is exceptional," says Patrick Graabæk, Sales Director at Off The Pitch. "Few clubs can match their ability to consistently identify, develop and sell talent at the highest level while remaining competitive in European football. It's a model that reflects exactly the kind of strategic thinking our platform is built to support." Talent factory The tools are now operational within FC Porto's recruitment and sporting departments, with the platform already deployed during the January transfer window as the club continues its reputation as one of Europe's most efficient and successful talent factories.

An analysis by Off The Pitch of U21 transfers (€5m+) from 2018–2024 shows Denmark’s @Superligaen has the highest success rate among non-top-8 leagues. South American leagues, despite high volume, rank lower for consistent value growth. ⚽📊 #sldk offthepitch.com/a/young-play…

Every week, Off The Pitch sharpens its financial lens on football's most intriguing fixtures. @astonvilla face @Bolognafc1909 with a wage bill that eclipses their opponents: Villa’s 2023/24 wages are about €294m, against Bologna’s €71m. #FootballFinance

Belgian @ProLeagueBE CEO @lorinparys123 outlines how the league is adapting: • €384M in outgoing transfers this summer • Positive balance of €237M • New league format from 2026/27 Focus: talent, financial stability & innovation. #jupilerproleague offthepitch.com/a/record-sal…

The cost of Premier League survival is skyrocketing. 💠Median wage bill for bottom-half clubs: £64M (2014) → £142M (2023) 💠 Promoted teams spent £175M last season, yet all 3 were relegated. 💠 Clubs are chasing EPL riches but losing profitability. offthepitch.com/a/price-stay…

From local businessmen to state-backed investors—football’s ownership landscape has transformed. @MiguelDelaney & @NickMiller79 explore how these changes challenge fairness, competition, and the soul of the game. offthepitch.com/a/boiling-fr…

Last season, @LFC found themselves in the Europa League, a consequence of a disappointing 2022/23 campaign that saw them finish fifth. Such a setback comes with a financial cost, especially when expenses are geared towards competing on Europe’s grandest stage. #LFC offthepitch.com/a/financial-…