Italian league drops to third-richest

[Grizzly]

Surprised Bundesliga is moving to 2nd and LaLiga is only 4th.

Italian league drops to third-richest: study

MILAN, Italy (AP) - Italy's match-fixing scandal will cost the Serie A one quarter of its income this season, according to a study published Monday in the financial daily il Sole-24 Ore.

The Serie A is predicted to lose 300 million euros ($426.7 million Cdn) and drop from the second-to the third-richest European league, with projected receipts of 1.2 billion euros (US$1.71 billion Cdn) in 2006-07.

The Bundesliga will profit from Germany's successful World Cup and rise to second with 1.35 billion euros ($1.92 billion Cdn) expected, according to a study by the Stageup sports business research firm.

England's Premier League will remain the richest European league with two billion euros ($2.85 billion Cdn) in projected receipts - 340 million euros ($483.6 million Cdn) from merchandising alone.

The Spanish league is fourth with 1.1 billion euros ($1.57 billion Cdn), while the French is fifth with 980 million euros ($1.39 billion Cdn).

[mrpopulistfutebol]

Wow. That is surprising, the spanish league is fourth in total sales. I thought it would be number two.

[Canuck Oranje]

Spain, I think, is headed down the wrong track with its increased limitations on non-EU players. It is not at all surprising that England and Germany are the top two because they are probably the most open leagues in the EU (at the highest level anyway). A sign of the future was given in yesterday's Brazil - Argentina game in London. Three Brazilian players who saw time yesterday play in the Russian League and another in the Ukraine.

On top of that, the oldest of those players was Elano at 25 and born on June 14, 1981.