Ajax has the annual figures for the 2020/2021 financial year on Wednesday evening through the official channels presented. The key figures and the turnover figures have already been published on this website and in this article we look at the financial figures related to operating expenses.
The costs of Ajax over the past financial year have decreased by 7.1 million euros to 158.3 million euros. According to the club, this decrease is mainly due to a decrease in match-related costs, as a result of playing without or for a limited audience.
Salaries
The cost item salaries increased by 2.3 million euros last year. Ajax thus paid 94.7 million euros in salaries, mainly due to an increase in football salary costs as a result of the increased premiums due to the sporting results achieved. Fixed player salaries did decrease, however. This is because some high earners left and the group of players agreed on a wage offer. The management and employees also made a wage sacrifice.
Depreciation on fixed assets
Depreciation on fixed assets increased by 0.7 million euros to an amount of 12.1 million euros. According to Ajax, this is due to ‘an increase in lease assets as a result of new investments and interim changes due to indexation of lease agreements’.
Purchase value turnover and other operating costs
In line with the increase in merchandise sales, the purchase value of sales also increased. This increased by 3.3 million euros to 14.2 million euros. Total operating expenses, on the other hand, decreased by an amount from 13.4 million euros to 37.3 million euros.
Compensation amounts
Due to the transfer transactions, amortization of compensation amounts rose by eight million euros to 60.5 million euros in the past financial year. Mainly the hefty transfer amounts that Ajax paid for Antony, Sébastien Haller, Davy Klaassen, Mohammed Kudus and to a lesser extent Sean Klaiber ensure this amount. On the other hand, the sale of players such as Donny van de Beek, Sergiño Dest, Hakim Ziyech, Sven Botman and Lassina Traoré, which – in combination with training allowances, received solidarity contributions for transferred former Ajax players and shares from transfer fees in the event of resale – ensures a result on compensation amounts of 86.1 million euros.
Sale Ajax Cape Town
On September 28, 2020, Ajax sold its shares in Ajax Cape Town. The result of this sale transaction is a negative amount of 2.6 million euros. Ajax was involved with the South African club for more than twenty years, but decided to pull its hands from it last year.
No dividend
Furthermore, Ajax reports in the annual report that the club will not pay a dividend to its shareholders over the past year. Due to the negative operating result before depreciation and the result before compensation amounts, Ajax is not allowed to pay out any dividend to its shareholders according to the adopted dividend policy.
Equity and reserves
After processing all the results on the balance sheet, Ajax concludes that the club has equity of 222 million euros at its disposal. The other reserves for recognition of the undistributed result amount to 120.6 million euros.
