Mandatory Disclosure Level, Sports and Financial Performance of Brazilian Soccer Clubs

Abstract

Purpose : The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the level of mandatory disclosure of Brazilian soccer clubs in order to verify the existence of a relationship between accounting disclosure, financial performance, and the clubs’ sporting performance. Methods : We employ a qualitative and quantitative research method by empirically developing a disclosure index. The data were collected on the websites of football clubs and their federations. The sample is composed of 76 Brazilian soccer clubs by belonging to the ranking list of the Brazilian Football Confederation. A multiple linear regression allowed investigating the relationship between the main variables of the study. Relevance : The work contributes to a discussion about the soccer performance and the conformity of the recognition, measurement, and disclosure of the accounting acts and facts of the Brazilian soccer clubs. These entities have become important sources of business and stakeholders are more interested in the transparency of their transactions. Results : There is a low adhesion of sports entities to the mandatory disclosure requirements. It was observed that of the 36 items of mandatory disclosure no club met 100% of the rules of publication, recognition, measurement, and disclosure accounting. While the average of all clubs was 33.8%, Clube de Regatas Flamengo and Sport Club Internacional reported 88.9% mandatory disclosure. Theoretical/methodological contributions : We find that the level of mandatory disclosure is positively related to the intangible asset, revenue, sports performance, locality of the club and the period of experience in disclosing the mandatory accounting items. Social Contributions : This analysis can provide insights that allow the stakeholder to observe the level of economic and sports organization of Brazilian football clubs, and the degree of commitment to transparency and governance