Phrases such as “stop the boats” and “send them back” were heard at all levels of English football last season, as anti-immigrant chanting soared to record levels, new data reveals. Kick It Out received 39 reports of anti-immigrant chanting in the 2025-26 season, more than the previous two seasons combined, as total discrimination reports hit a record 1,744 – a 25% increase on the previous campaign.
The ugly trend collides with a deepening financial crisis in the professional game. Premier League clubs’ combined pre-tax losses surged 600% from £135m in 2023-24 to £948m in 2024-25, according to Deloitte’s annual review of football finance. The rise was attributed to transfer spending and the absence of significant profits from one-off sales. Net debt climbed from £3.5bn to £3.6bn.
“Record discrimination reports and 600% Premier League loss surge expose football's twin crises.”
Reports of abuse in grassroots football rose for a fifth consecutive year, up by 33% to a record 248. The 98 reports of abuse against match officials equalled the total of the past three seasons combined. Racism remained the most common form of discrimination, with 792 reports (up 19%), followed by sexism (216, up 12%), homophobia (203, up 46%), antisemitism (93, up 43%), ableism (89, up 20%) and Islamophobia (60, up 88%). All six areas recorded their highest totals in five years.
Samuel Okafor, chief executive at Kick It Out, said: “These figures show that discrimination remains deeply embedded across the game at a time when we’re also seeing rises in hate crime and divisive political rhetoric in Britain. But they also show that people are more willing to stand up to abuse when they see it, and it’s encouraging to see professional players set that example last season.” In March, a 60-year-old man was given a suspended sentence for sending offensive messages to England Women defender Jess Carter, who went public over the attacks during the European Championship. In the men’s game, Antoine Semenyo drew attention to racist abuse he received, with a charge of racially aggravated behaviour against one man scheduled for trial in September.
Meanwhile, Championship clubs’ pre-tax losses rose 12% to £355m, with only three sides reporting a profit. The revenue gap between the top flight and second tier remains vast: Premier League clubs earned £6.8bn against £942m in the Championship, a 2% decline for the second tier. Discussions over a “new deal” to share television revenue more equitably have stalled since 2024, though the Independent Football Regulator may have “backstop” powers to impose a settlement.
Deloitte found the European football market grew 6% overall to €40.2bn (£34.4bn) in 2024-25, the first season of Uefa’s expanded men’s club competitions. But Tim Bridge, lead partner in the Deloitte Sports Business Group, warned: “Upcoming regulatory changes could support future improvements, but the focus must now shift to stronger commercialisation and sustainable growth, or a plan to bridge the gap to the Premier League… Football cannot rely on simply adding more content to deliver sustainable growth. An increasingly saturated market may not be good for players or fans, particularly if it weakens the on-pitch spectacle. This approach, without a collective mindset from all rights-holders, risks prioritising short-term gain over long-term prosperity.”