Spain’s Real Madrid retained the title of the world’s richest soccer club in the past year thanks to sponsorship and TV deals robust enough to endure a season without a major trophy, a study showed yesterday.

Real’s revenue of €519 million put the club ahead of domestic rivals Barcelona in fiscal 2012/2013, with European champions Bayern Munich edging into third ahead of Manchester United, in the annual Football Money League compiled by accountants Deloitte.

Qatari-owned Paris St Germain (PSG) underlined their emergence as a soccer power with an 81 per cent rise in revenue to almost €400 million to claim fifth spot.

Revenue for the top 20 teams rose by eight per cent to €5.4 billion, Deloitte said, underlining the appeal of soccer to broadcasters and sponsors targeting mass consumer markets.

Real Madrid and Barcelona are two of the most consistently successful teams in Europe, fielding top players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi respectively.

The two clubs enjoy the financial advantage of being able to negotiate their own TV deals, rather than pooling TV rights income as teams in other major leagues have to do.

Manchester United won the English Premier League for a record 20th time last year, but the team has struggled on the pitch this season and risks missing out on qualification for a place in the lucrative Champions League.

Despite the poor form, United are set for a big rise in turnover as benefits roll in from improved English Premier League TV contracts and new sponsorship deals.

The club is forecasting revenue for the current season of between £420 million and £430 million, up from £363 million last season.

Top 20 in rich list

1. Real Madrid - 519
2. Barcelona - 483
3. Bayern Munich - 431
4. Manchester United - 424
5. Paris St Germain - 399
6. Manchester City - 316
7. Chelsea - 303
8. Arsenal - 284
9. Juventus - 272
10. Milan - 264
11. Borussia Dortmund - 256
12. Liverpool - 241
13. Schalke 04 - 198
14. Tottenham Hotspur - 172
15. Inter - 169
16. Galatasaray - 157
17. Hamburg SV - 135
18. Fenerbahce - 126
19. Roma (Italy) - 124
20. Atletico Madrid - 120

Note: Figures denote revenue in 2012-13 (million euros)

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