Liverpool Football Club has reported a pre-tax loss of £9 million ($11.4 million) for the last season, according to its latest accounts published on Thursday.
Despite increased commercial income, the club’s overall revenue for the season remained static at £594 million, as a drop in media and matchday revenues offset the gains.
The disappointing 2022/23 campaign saw the club finish fifth in the Premier League and exit early from the Champions League and both domestic cups.
Liverpool’s wage bill for the current Premier League leaders rose by £7 million to £373 million, and administrative costs increased by £17 million to £562 million.
In contrast, the previous 12 months had produced a small profit of £7.5 million.
The club’s biggest income stream in 2022/23 was the £272 million, up by £25 million, generated from off-field activities, but the last-16 Champions League exit a year after reaching the final resulted in a £19 million drop in media revenue to £242 million.
Additionally, matchday revenue also fell due to fewer games being played across last season, following the previous campaign, when the club played in every fixture, a total of 63, winning both domestic cups and reaching the Champions League final.
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“Despite the significant growing costs of football, the success of our commercial operations demonstrates the strength of our underlying financial position, so we can continue to operate sustainably while competing at the highest levels of football,” said managing director Andy Hughes.
“While these financial results are a moment in time on our journey, what remains constant is the growing global appeal of the club.”
However, matchday revenue is expected to increase after the new Anfield Road stand was fully opened earlier in February, bringing Anfield’s capacity to 61,000.
During the reporting period, Liverpool also signed Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo, Calvin Ramsay, and youth team goalkeeper Kornel Misciur for a combined initial fee of £105 million but offloaded Sadio Mane, Divock Origi, Takumi Minamino, and Neco Williams.
The club also renewed several significant contracts, including one for top-scorer Mohamed Salah, who became the highest earner in the club’s history on a reported deal of £300,000 per week.
Despite the financial loss, Liverpool’s League Cup triumph on Sunday in manager Klopp’s final season at Anfield, and their current position at the top of the Premier League, suggest a bright future ahead.
The club is still involved in the FA Cup and the Europa League this season.
