The business figures for 2022 are still as bad in many important areas as they were last. But the club is already expecting to return to profitability in the current calendar year, and the trend reversal should not be in danger even if they are relegated again.
Probably back in the profit zone this year: FC Schalke 04.
IMAGO/Revierfoto
The current figures are no better than those for the 2021 financial year, and in some areas they are even worse. FC Schalke generated a turnover of 157 million euros in 2022, in 2021 it was 167.6. The loss rose again by 1.6 to 19.4 million, and the negative equity is again higher at 109.8 million. After all, the total liabilities fell from 183.5 to 180 million euros.
Positive forecast for Schalke
The happy news of the Royal Blues lies in their prognosis. Even if Schalke were to be relegated again (and regardless of transfer income), the club expects a financial profit in 2023. “After almost three years of intensive work, we have managed to lay a more stable financial foundation from which we can now take the next steps. This is a great achievement by the entire club,” says CFO Christina Rühl-Hamers.
First year with a profit possible since 2018
The slide into profit would be the first since the loss-making years of 2022 and 2021 as well as 2020 (52.6) and 2019 (26.1). However, the Gelsenkirchen team will no longer reach the level of 2018. At that time, they generated a record profit of 40.5 million euros, resulting from, among other things, the Champions League qualification and extreme media revenues of almost 150 million euros. In 2023, the profit will be in the single-digit, maybe even in the low double-digit million range.
Schalke’s strict austerity measures will bear fruit in the foreseeable future. Those responsible around Rühl-Hamers had put many things to the test, always with the emphasis on the fact that they wanted to act with “economic reason”. The direction is right, although the course of consolidation will last for quite some time. One can only gradually speak of a satisfactory state of health when the total liabilities fall below the 100 million euro mark and the negative equity is at least approximately balanced.
40 million euros budget 2023/24 in case of relegation
Schalke are confident of getting the license for both the 1st and 2nd division – with no liquidity conditions. However, a condition is expected because of the negative equity. In the event of relegation, the budget for 2023/24 should be around 40 million euros and thus in the lower third in a league comparison, with relegation the budget would be a little more than 20 million as high as hardly any other second division club.
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