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Chelsea announce £32.5m profit for 2019-20 financial year
The Blues saw their total slip from the previous number of £446.7m ($610.6m) to £407.4m ($556.8m) following a season blighted by off-field issues
Chelsea have posted a profit of £32.5 million ($44.4m) in their latest set of financial results - but the club still saw a year-on-year fall in overall turnover in part thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Blues saw their total slip from the previous number of £446.7m ($610.6m) to £407.4m ($556.8m) for the fiscal year ending June 30 2020, but still made a tidy margin thanks to both player sales and Champions League qualification.
Frank Lampard's side also remain compliant "with UEFA's break-even criteria under the Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations," per a club statement .
Like most other clubs, Chelsea saw a significant fall in both broadcasting and matchday revenues, as a result of the suspension of the season from March 2020 as the pandemic rattled through Europe.
Commercial revenue also took a hit with non-matchday activities effectively suspended or closed, while the club further invested close to £100m ($136.7m) in their squad.
That figure does not include Lampard's big-money summer signings however, with Kai Havertz, Timo Werner, Ben Chilwell and Edouard Mendy all arriving after the close of the 2020 fiscal year.
"In common with many, many businesses across the globe, the pandemic has had a significant impact on Chelsea’s income," chairman Bruce Buck noted in a club statement .
"But it is a sign of the strength and stability of our financial operation that the company was still able to post a profit in the past financial year.
"This was done while continuing to invest in our playing staff and indeed had normal football not halted in March, projections show a record profit and record turnover would have been achieved.
"That would have represented an increase in revenue for a fifth year in succession.
"Despite the impact of Covid, the revenue streams remained strong, our team is developing on the pitch and the Club is in a good position to continue to grow when football is able to operate as it did previously, a time we are all looking forward to."
Chelsea are next back in action when they face fellow top-four and title hopefuls Manchester City on January 3, having taken one point from their last two games since Christmas.
