Rome, Friedkin’s expenses in 18 months: all the figures

Over half a billion euros. More exactly 534.8 million euros, including 25.8 million paid a few days ago. This is the amount of Friedkin’s investment in Rome since August 2020, when the Texan family decided to buy the Giallorossi club from the previous management, the one that was headed by James Pallotta. A huge amount, considering that the initial investment to buy Roma was 199 million, to which the 335.8 “injected” into the club’s coffers several times for the needs of the group’s “working capital”. This is also why the current management has to live with a liquidity crisis as regards market events: in January 2 million were spent on the arrivals of Maitland-Niles and Sergio Oliveira, covered by the 2 million of the sale of Ciervo al Sassuolo.

The purchase

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Dan and Ryan Friedkin bought Roma in the summer of 2020, exactly on the night between 5 and 6 August, the day before the team’s engagement in Duisburg in the Europa League, in the round of 16 then lost clearly (2-0 ) against the Sevilla of the former Spanish ds Monchi. The separate check for the purchase was a total of 199 million euros, divided as follows: 63.4 million euros for the 86.6% of the majority share package, 8.5 million for the other company stakes held by As Roma SPV, 111 million to reimburse the member loans in favor of the club provided by Pallotta (in fact the coverage of the amount already paid by the previous owner in the capital increase of 150 million euros) and 16 million for the costs incurred in in favor of Stadio TdV SpA (the subsidiary that was responsible for the new Tor di Valle stadium). Since then, however, the Friedkins have had to inject fresh money into the club if not every month, almost.

Funding

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From the moment of purchase to today, in fact, the owners of Roma have injected exactly 335.8 million euros into the club’s coffers. Considering that the first shareholder loan is dated August 2020, in these 18 months of ownership the Friedkin family has paid an average of 18.7 million euros per month. For current management only, to keep the club alive. The most conspicuous payment took place last August, with 60 million, but even in December 2020 the millions made available to the company were 40. And this season the injections of fresh money have never stopped: 25 million in September, 10.9 in October, ten in November, 15.8 in December and finally 25.8 in January. This also explains why Rome can also think of selling some gems of the house, because the machine burns money endlessly to keep going, also due to revenues that have significantly contracted both due to the pandemic and for the lack of the Champions League (where Roma are missing from the 2018-19 season).

The bills

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Moreover, the situation of the Giallorossi accounts is not prosperous and does not show a turnaround. The club’s adjusted net financial debt at 31 December 2021 was 322 million (at 30 June it was 311.7 million, with an increase of 10.3 million due to lower liquidity and the increase in loans with companies in the group). Which, in fact, suggests that between now and June the Friedkins will still have to put a lot of money to keep the current business alive.