The club has substantial debt repayments
Manchester United has reported an annual pre-tax loss of £79.6m, hit by one-off finance charges and reduced revenues from the sale of players.
The loss for the 12 months to 30 June compares with a profit of £48m for the year before, when revenues were boosted by the £80m sale of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The club’s one-off finance charges during the past year totalled £67m. It also paid £40m in interest payments.
While its match-day turnover fell, this was offset by commercial earnings.
Manchester United’s overall annual turnover increased to £286.4m.
Matchday turnover fell from £108.8m to £100.2m, which the club said was a result of it not progressing as far in the Uefa Champions League last season as it had in the season before.
In the 2009-10 season the club made it to the quarter finals of the competition, while the season before it lost in the final to Barcelona.
Its media turnover rose from £99.7m to £104.8m, thanks in part to higher TV payments from Uefa.
Commercial turnover increased from £69.9m to £81.4m, due to increased sponsorship revenues.
The £40m spent on interest payments was the same as a year earlier.
Operating profit – which does not include the cost of servicing the club’s debts – also rose, reaching £100.8m, compared with £92m a year earlier.
The one-off finance charges are linked to Manchester United’s £504m bond issue back in January, which enabled the club to pay back most of its bank debt.
While it has to pay a similar level of annual interest on the bonds, the move freed the club from the tougher financial conditions imposed by the banks.
Manchester United was bought by the US-based Glazer family for £800m in 2005.
Critics say the family has saddled the club with massive debts, and this has led to protests by supporters’ groups.
Many fans are continuing to boycott the team’s traditional red shirts and scarves, and instead wearing green and gold, the original colours of Newton Heath, the amateur side which was founded in 1878 and went on to become Manchester United.
A group of wealthy Manchester United supporters known as the Red Knights also proposed making a takeover bid.
However, they put this on hold in June, saying media speculation of “inflated valuation aspirations” had hampered their plans, and that they would only pay a sensible price for the club.
Officials at Manchester United have constantly reiterated that the club is not for sale, and that the Glazer family will not listen to any offers.
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