Fifa Museum loses CHF30m in opening year
by Tom Anstey | 11 Nov 2016
The museum was hoping to welcome around 250,000 visitors annually, but its numbers are around half that
FIFA’s World Football Museum in Zurich has suffered a disappointing start after incurring losses of more than CHF30m (US$30.5m, €27.9m, £24.1m) in its first year.
First announced by then-FIFA president Sepp Blatter in 2012, the 3,000sq m (32,300sq ft) museum is part of a larger CHF150m (US$152.3m, €139.7m, £120.7m) development which includes the CHF30m (US$30.5m, €27.9m, £24.1m) museum, luxury apartments, a restaurant, a sports bar, a shop, FIFA office space and a conference centre.
Opened on 28 February, the museum has had a turbulent beginning, opening in the midst of a corruption scandal within Fifa and then last month seeing its inaugural managing director, Stefan Jost, leave over “contrasting views” on its future development.
The museum was hoping to welcome around 250,000 visitors annually – around 21,000 visitors a month. However in its first year the museum is only drawing 11,000 a month – 132,000 a year.
Museum spokesperson Delia Fischer confirmed the losses to The Telegraph, saying "new, innovative approaches" were being explored to keep the museum financially stable, with a working group now working on an improved business model, which will be presented to the Fifa Council in January 2017.
Fifa football Fifa Museum museum visitor attraction Stefan Jost Sepp BlatterEXCLUSIVE: FIFA museum MD promises 'special visitor experience' ahead of opening weekend
FEATURE: People profile – Stefan Jost
FIFA’s World Football Museum in Zurich has suffered a disappointing start after incurring losses of more than CHF30m (US$30.5m, €27.9m, £24.1m) in its first year. First announced by then-FIFA president Sepp Blatter in 2012, the 3,000sq m (32,300sq ft) museum is part of a larger CHF150m (US$152.3m, €139.7m, £120.7m) development which includes the CHF30m (US$30.5m, €27.9m, £24.1m) museum, luxury apartments, a restaurant, a sports bar, a shop, FIFA office space
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