Global recession will hit Premier League: Wenger

A global recession will reduce earnings at clubs belonging to England’s wealthy Premier League, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said in a interview published on Saturday.

“Why should the Premier League be untouchable?” the Frenchman told the Official Arsenal Magazine.

“The recession means fans will have less money, the television companies will have less advertising revenue and that means that football will suffer.

“The next television deal (to broadcast matches) could be lower, it depends how much they are touched by it,” Wenger added.

The English Premier League is by far the richest in Europe, according to a report in August by Italian internet sports business company StageUp.

Many economists are forecasting a global recession during 2009.

In a study into the proceeds garnered by the top European leagues the Premier League finished one billion euros (1.35 billion dollars) ahead of Italy’s Serie A in second.

England’s top division earns 2.43 billion euros a year, according to StageUp.