LISBON - Professional football has contributed 396 million euros (about $443 million) directly to Portuguese GDP in 2017/18, with a decrease in the amount of player transfers to justify the year-on-year decline of 13%, a study said here today.

"The Portuguese League and the sporting companies analyzed generated around 607 million euros (about $679 million) in turnover, contributing around 396 million euros to Portuguese GDP (0.2 percent) in 2017/18", according to the Portuguese Professional Football Yearbook (EY), presented Wednesday in Lisbon as part of the Annual Conference of the Portuguese Professional Football League.

As for the 13 percent decline in football's contribution to GDP, EY explained that this is mainly due to the "overall decline in the balance of the Portuguese athlete's rights", which fell more than 50 percent 2017/18 compared to the previous season, from 167 million euros (about $187 million) to 80 million euros ($about 90 million).

"The league is still responsible for 95 cents for every euro that is generated in professional football, contributing with 376 million euros (about $421 million) for GDP," said the study.