French soccer’s top division lost 645 million euros ($678 million) during the coronavirus-hit 2021-21 season, the league’s financial watchdog said on Thursday.
The DNCG, as it is known in France, said 17 of the 20 Ligue 1 teams lost money last season.
Match earnings took a hit as matches were played without fans since October and limited to a capacity of 5,000 previously. Only Saint-Etienne, Rennes and Dijon — which fell — remained in the green.
The percentage of losses was 140 percent higher than the 269 million euros ($238 million) they lost during the 2019-20 campaign, which was canceled with 10 games remaining due to the pandemic.
Although that season ended early, the clubs took 170 million euros ($179 million) from ticket sales. The total fell immensely last season, to just 8 million euros ($8.4 million).
For example, the turnover of Paris Saint-Germain fell from 38 million euros ($40 million) to just 961,000 euros ($1 million).
Lyon fared little better, falling from €35.5 million ($37.3 million) to €2 million ($2.1 million).
