Insights - Football Benchmark

BlueCo’s Strasbourg project: Investing to build a competitive force in a fragile Ligue 1

Does Strasbourg’s trajectory under BlueCo offer a case study in how investors can build ambitious clubs within a fragile market? RC Strasbourg is emerging as one of Ligue 1’s most ambitious projects under new ownership. BlueCo’s takeover in June 2023 marked a decisive turning point, placing the club within a multi-club ownership structure aimed at driving growth through targeted investment, talent integration, and shared expertise. This transformation comes against a backdrop of fragility across French football. Within this environment, Strasbourg’s approach under BlueCo stands out as a test case for whether the MCO model can accelerate competitiveness and long-term sustainability in a league under financial strain. After years of steady mid-table finishes, the club is now pursuing a different trajectory, aiming to close the gap with the likes of Lille and Lens - the group of clubs that in recent seasons have challenged Marseille and Lyon’s place among Ligue 1’s top sides. Early signs of progress are evident with a strengthened squad, European qualification, and growing integration with Chelsea. This analysis looks at how Strasbourg’s inclusion in BlueCo’s multi-club model is reshaping the club’s financial profile, sporting performance, and position within Ligue 1’s hierarchy.

Milan’s new stadium: Revenue potential, investment requirements, and the case for sharing

The sale of San Siro has opened the path for a new, shared stadium for AC Milan and FC Internazionale, but what does this landmark decision mean for the two clubs? On 30 September 2025, the Milan City Council approved the sale of San Siro and its surrounding land to both clubs, clearing the way for the stadium’s demolition and the construction of a modern, shared home. The decision marks a turning point in a saga that has spanned years and could reshape the financial and sporting outlook of both teams, as well as Italian football more broadly. This week’s special analysis from Football Benchmark CEO Andrea Sartori will answer the following three key questions: how much additional revenue could the new stadium generate, what level of investment will it require, and does it truly make sense for the two clubs to continue sharing a home?

Youth development in the Premier League: Analysing pathways and opportunities for young players

Youth development has become a decisive factor both on and off the pitch in the Premier League. Alongside its record revenues, the league and English football more broadly have accelerated progress in this area in recent years. England’s U21 side won a second successive UEFA U21 EURO this summer, while players such as Liverpool’s Rio Ngumoha and Arsenal’s Max Dowman are making debuts before turning 17. At the same time, clubs are committing major resources to youth development as a central pillar of strategic planning. At industry level, youth football’s importance is only growing. On the pitch, younger players are contributing more minutes than ever before, a pattern reflected in the Premier League. Off the pitch, they represent valuable assets in terms of transfer value and long-term squad planning. These developments make it essential for clubs to balance immediate competitiveness with investment in the future, with domestic player development systems remaining decisive in shaping pathways. This week’s analysis examines the evolution of U21 playing opportunities in the Premier League, the contrasting strategies of clubs, and the balance between young domestic and international players.

Breaking into the Premier League’s “Big 6”: Are challengers changing the competitive landscape on and off the pitch?

Over the past decade, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur have been the league’s sporting and financial powerhouses. They have dominated domestic performance, secured the majority of UEFA Champions League places, and built global commercial brands. Yet the environment around them has evolved. Rising broadcast revenues have strengthened competitiveness beyond the elite, Profitability and Sustainability Rules have placed greater emphasis on sustainable models, and UEFA competition expansion has created new revenue opportunities once reserved mainly for the top. Challenger clubs have begun to break through and punch above their weight on the pitch, but the question is whether these performances can translate into sustained strength off it. This week’s analysis looks at league performance, European qualifications, commercial strength, and squad values to assess the extent to which challengers are reshaping the landscape and whether their breakthroughs mark a lasting rebalancing or remain episodic.

Assessing the landscape of Portugal’s key football hubs

Portugal has long played an outsized role in European football. The country has established itself as one of the game’s most important talent pathways, combining world-class youth development with a proven track record in player trading and international visibility. A combination of strong domestic talent, ties with South America and Africa, a regulatory framework that allows unrestricted non-EU recruitment, and relatively low operating costs has made Portugal a focal point for investors and operators. Professional football is more concentrated here than almost anywhere else in Europe. Two hubs - Lisbon and the northern hub of Porto, Braga, and Guimarães - account for 75% of all clubs across the top two divisions. This clustering has created a unique ecosystem, where opportunities and risks coexist in equal measure. For investors and operators, understanding the dynamics of these hubs is critical to identifying the right opportunities in one of European football’s most distinctive markets.

Who leads Europe’s clubs? CEO profiles and pathways across the “Big Five” Leagues

Modern football is shaped as much in the boardroom as on the pitch. At the centre of this transformation is the CEO, the figure tasked with steering clubs through the complexities of global finance, commercial growth, and sporting ambition. Once dominated by chairmen or part-time directors, club leadership has professionalised, and the CEO role has become central to how ownership vision is translated into day-to-day action and long-term strategy. Our analysis looks at the CEO landscape across the Premier League, LaLiga, Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1, with a focus on average tenure, professional backgrounds, and career pathways. The findings reveal that average tenure underlines the CEO position as one of greater stability and seniority, that commercial expertise now outpaces football-specific knowledge, and that prior experience within clubs is the single most important attribute for the role.

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