"The last eight years have been the best in our history"

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Antonio Rivera, Head of the Legal Department of Atlético Madrid Football Club Academy, gave a master class at the faculty «Sport Industry Management».

The topics covered by the top manager of the Madrid-based club, ranked second in the current UEFA rating, included its budget policy, dealing with sponsors and fans, establishment of the Club Academy, benefits of the new Wanda Metropolitano stadium, which is a replacement of the legendary Vicente Calderón stadium, Atletico brand international promotion, and a Q&A session.

"The last eight years, as of 2010, have been the best in our history, which, as you know, started in 1903. Over this period of timewe played in the finals of ten different football competitions, including two Champions Leagues, and have twice won the Europa League.

We are the second in the current UEFA club rating, only Real is ahead of us. At the same time, it’s worth paying attention to the budgets difference — their current season’s revenues will reach almost 700 million euros, while ours will be twice less, 343 million.

From budget perspective we are way behind other teams of the current European Top-5 — Bavaria, Barcelona and Juventus. And not only them - we are only 12th in Europe in terms of revenues, although, the successes of recent years certainly enabled us to increase our earnings fundamentally — they almost doubled compared to 170 million euros in 2014" — Antonio Rivera said.