Not Completing the 2019/20 Football Season Could See Player Values Drop by Staggering Amount Across Europe

A failure to complete the current 2019/20 season could result in an £8.7bn drop in player values among Europe’s top ten leagues, according to a global accountancy firm.

The coronavirus outbreak has understandably brought all of Europe’s major leagues to a halt, with several countries such as France, Belgium and the Netherlands having cancelled the remainder of the season already.

Many of Europe’s other elite leagues are looking for ways to continue the season, with not only sporting integrity at stake, but massive financial ramifications that could completely change the landscape of modern football.

According to a report from KPMG, failing to play out the rest of this season could have an unprecedented impact on player values, with Europe’s top ten leagues set to suffer an £8.7bn setback – a 26.5% reduction in player value.

The Premier League would be hit hard by a decision to end the season now, with Manchester City possibly the club most affected as their squad’s value could drop by £839m. Liverpool’s player values would be set to drop by £792m, Manchester United £624m, Chelsea £601m and Tottenham £597m, with all the aforementioned English clubs in the top ten for those that would be most impacted.

That would likely have an almighty impact on clubs lower in the football pyramid – many of whom are already struggling financially – with less money finding its way to them.

Player values often deteriorate when a player is not playing as they get older, with 2019 Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi currently the player who is set to suffer the greatest depreciation in value. If the season isn’t completed, the Barcelona man’s value could drop by 27.5%.

However, even if the season is completed behind closed doors, player values will still take a nosedive, although it would be a significantly smaller figure than if the season isn’t finished at all. Player values would drop by 17.7%, just under £6bn, if the season is completed without fans in the stadium.

The Bundesliga is currently the league closest to restarting as the German first division is set to begin at a yet unspecified date towards the end of May. The Premier League, Serie A and La Liga are still somewhat further away from picking up where they left off prior to the suspension of football.

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