Brighton owner Tony Bloom took over the club in 2009 while they were playing in League One.
Brighton reported a record profit of £122. 8 million for the 2022-23 financial year, the most successful season in the Premier League club’s history.
Profit after tax has risen by almost £100 million a year, from £24. 1 million, with profit rising 17. 2% to a record £204. 5 million.
Albion finished sixth in the Premier League in 2022-23, reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup and also generated huge transfer fees for several key players.
These figures can contribute to “significant progress” in the field, Brighton said.
“These accounts will, of course, draw attention because of the headline-grabbing figure,” said Brighton chief executive Paul Barber.
“In a season where we made history on the pitch, we took a big step forward in terms of the club’s long-standing purpose to be more sustainable and less dependent on the incredibly generous investment grades of Tony Bloom [Brighton’s owner]. “
Brighton made a “substantial refund” to Bloom for the first time, Barber added.
With this, the club has reduced the balance of Bloom’s interest-free loan, the first granted in 2007, to £373. 3 million from £406. 5 million.
Brighton’s record profits come at a time when several other clubs have posted losses for the 2022-23 top-flight season, adding Aston Villa (£120m), Chelsea (£90m), Everton (£89m), Leicester (£120m). £90m), Newcastle United (£73m), Nottingham Forest (£52m) and Wolves (£67m).
Everton and Forest have already been fined for breaching benefits and sustainability rules, while Leicester faces charges.
A significant portion of Brighton’s cash in 2022-2023 was generated through their performances on the pitch and ability to make a profit by promoting players who arrived for a much lower fee.
Brighton manager Roberto de Zerbi guided the club to the end of the league in its 122-year history, as well as reaching the FA Cup semi-finals for the third time.
As a result, the club’s earnings from prize money and broadcasts increased from £126. 2 million to £155. 2 million.
The sale of four key players – Malian midfielder Yves Bissouma, Spanish left-back Marc Cucurella, Belgian striker Leandro Trossard and Argentine midfielder Alexis Mac Allister – generated a £121. 4m transfer profit.
The £23 million repayment earned by De Zerbi’s predecessor Graham Potter, who moved to Chelsea with several of his partners, also contributed to the record figures.
Player Sales:
The final date of the 2022-23 accounts is June 30 of the year.
They don’t come with the sales of Ecuadorian midfielder Moises Caicedo and Spanish goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, who joined Chelsea in August 2023.
Caicedo sold for £100 million, which could reach a UK record of £115 million. Sanchez made the same move for £25 million.
Brighton fans of a certain age still have to pinch themselves when they think about how the club has evolved over the last 30 years.
From their struggles in the Football League to their liquidation in 1997, the Seagulls’ meteoric performance has been remarkable.
Former chairman Dick Knight kept the club when his consortium bought the majority of the shares, before stepping down to become sportsbook entrepreneur Bloom in 2009.
Bloom financed the structure of the Amex Stadium, a building block of Brighton’s renaissance, as well as the provision of an educational ground.
Bloom’s interest-free loans made immediate investment possible and led to success.
Brighton first arrived in the Premier League in 2017, being one of the most passionate and progressive teams in the English top flight.
“As always, we are incredibly grateful to Tony Bloom for his transparent vision, his world-class ownership of our club and his continued monetary support,” Barber added.
“In the same way, we are incredibly fortunate to have a high-quality board, which provides us with great stability and guidance, as well as maximum wisdom in all areas of the club. “
Former Shakhtar Donetsk coach De Zerbi, 44, built on the work done by Potter and led the Seagulls to Europe for the first time this season.
However, the Italian’s future remains uncertain.
Despite being under contract until 2026, De Zerbi has been linked with Liverpool and Bayern Munich and likely has Bloom’s ambitions recently.
“Bloom has spent £1 billion of his own money at Brighton, from a Ligue 1 fighter to a Europa League participant,” Seagulls fan Scott McCarthy told fansite We Are Brighton.
“Ask him, face him, and there will be a winner in this popularity contest in the eyes of Albion’s biggest fans. “
Image source, BBC Sport.
Image source, BBC Sport.
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