Bayern turnover tops half a billion euros

Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich achieved record turnover figures for 2013/14 on Friday, matching their success on the pitch by breaking through the 500 million euros (398.05 million pounds) barrier for the first time.

The richest club in Germany and one of the wealthiest in the world posted a turnover of 528.7 million euros including Allianz Arena Limited, their best result in 114 years, club bosses told the annual general meeting in Munich.

Allianz Arena Limited is the Bayern-owned operator of the club's home ground.

Turnover was up almost 100 million euros in 2013/14, from 432.8 million, while profit stood at just over 16 million euros after tax, up from 14 million.

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation rose slightly to 98.7 million euros, up from 95.6 million in 2012/13 when Bayern won their first Champions League-Bundesliga- German Cup treble.

"Bayern Munich can present to its members results that have never existed in the history of this club," said deputy CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen.

"There is no doubt Bayern are both on a sporting level and financially at a stage they have never been before."

The club have enjoyed great success in recent years, reaching the Champions League final three times since 2010 and winning their fifth European crown in 2013.

Bayern have benefited from a booming domestic championship that has also seen record revenues from international broadcast rights sales as well as the world's highest attendance per game at more than 42,000 spectators.

Club membership has also more than doubled in 10 years, from 104,000 in 2004 to more than 251,000 in 2013/14.

It has not all been good news for Bayern this year though, with former club president Uli Hoeness being handed a three and a half year jail sentence for tax evasion.