Lower-division soccer clubs among hardest hit by pandemic

A Spanish third-division soccer team h just started selling a special membership pack for decisive portion of season, hoping to bring in some extra income. Ar was counting on boost from revenue on back of ticket sales for upcoming derby against a regional rival, one of its biggest matches of season. y were t expecting coronavirus outbreak, r to see soccer come to a halt.

Soccer clubs among hardest hit

suspension of competitions across globe has taken a toll on top teams everywhere, but it will be for smaller clubs that financial impact may cause most dam. While stopp has alrey forced some teams in major leagues to cut players' salaries, effect of crisis on lower-division clubs may be even more dire, lasting longer and possibly leing to financial collapse. "Every team in third division will suffer serious consequences," Franco Caselli, president of Spanish third-division club Burgos, told Associated Press. "Some more than ors, depending on ir ecomic situation." 

In most countries, re are lucrative television brocast deals for teams outside first and second divisions.  ir income comes mostly from ticket sales, small sponsors, team merchandising, season memberships and youth acemy memberships most of which have been affected by suspension of games. Caselli said Burgos, one of bigger clubs in Spain's third division, is doing well financially and should be able to withstand crisis, but t without losses.

"We h put on sale a special membership pack for last matches of league, and more than 1,000 h alrey been sold," he said. 

"That was a 20 percent increase in new memberships at this st, so losses will be important." 

Mrida, also in Spain's third tier, was looking to pack its 14,600-capacity stium for derby against Bajoz just before it was suspended because of outbreak, jeopardizing one of its biggest revenue sources of season. Fourth-division club Sant Andreu, which plays in a Barcelona neighborhood at a small stium where players' errant shots can go over stands and onto nearby streets, estimated a 30 percent deficit from current stopp of play. "We are facing unkwn," Manuel Cami, president and owner of club, told AP.  "We don't kw how long this will last."

Cami said he also doesn't fear for club's future, but ors elsewhere were t so optimistic. Italian third-division club Casertana was one of several lower-league teams to anunce it can longer pay players' ws. Casertana President Giuseppe D'Agosti said financial strain on his cheese company  which specializes in buffalo mozzarella  combined with lack of matches, became too much to handle.

"Unfortunately, state of emergency created by coronavirus represented an ermous blow to all commercial enterprises  and did t spare my company," D'Agosti said. 

"That has me it impossible to respect (a) deline for players' ws."

English clubs also struggled to withstand crisis. Fifth-tier Barnet h to place all n-playing staff on tice in "emergency measures to preserve club." "We have to consider impact that COVID-19 will have in immediate and long-term future," club said in a statement. Club chairman Tony Kleanthous said it was his "responsibility to ensure Barnet FC continues to survive and remains financially stable and refore, I have h to make difficult decisions."

In Spain, Spanish soccer federation, which oversees lower divisions, said it has been able to guarantee money destined to smaller clubs thanks in part to extra revenue it generated by taking Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia. "We have guaranteed 100 percent of help this year and also for next year," federation President Luis Rubiales said. Top-division teams in Europe h alrey shown signs of struggle, with some in Germany making salary cuts. Players for German title challenger Borussia Mnchenglbach this week approached club with an offer to take reduced salaries, while Scottish club Hearts asked all of its players and or full-time employees to accept a 50 percent pay cut or contract termination.