Barcelona has landed the first blow in the build-up to the Clasico. The Catalans host Real Madrid at Camp Nou on Dec. 3 and while they may not be ahead of their fiercest rivals in La Liga at the moment, they hold the advantage in economic terms.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu, the Catalan club declared revenues of 679 million euros ($748.29M) for the 2015-16 season, an increase of 7.2 percent on the €633 million estimate from the previous year, as the club completed a Liga and Copa del Rey double last term.
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Madrid's estimated income was €581 million, but Los Blancos ultimately took home €620 million - an increase of 6.7 percent - after winning the Champions League.
The projected income for both teams in 2016-17 is along the same lines, with Barca expected to amass a total of €695 million and Madrid around €620 million.
If the figures are confirmed by Deloitte, it will be the first time the Catalan club has beaten its rivals in terms of income over a full season, with Los Blancos topping the multinational firm's famous rich list for the past 11 years.