Successful Clubs Research Articles

FINANCIAL STRENGHT ASSESMENT OF FOOTBALL CLUPS: AN INTERNATIONAL COMPARISON

The aim of this research is to evaluate the financial strengths of football clubs comparatively on an international scale. In this regard, the financial strengths of 24 football clubs from six national leagues affiliated with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) were examined using the Piotroski F-Score method. During the analysis process, nine financial indicators under the categories of profitability, liquidity-leverage, and operational efficiency for the period 2019-2023 were calculated and scored from 0 to 9. The research concluded clubs exhibit moderate financial strength, indicating investable profile. In terms of average F-Score values, Bayern Munich and Sporting Lisbon emerged as the most successful clubs, while Lazio and AS Roma were identified as the least successful. The evaluation of the nine financial indicators revealed changes in paid-up capital, earnings quality, and cash flows from operating activities as the most successful. Conversely, return on asset, changes in leverage, and changes in gross profit margin were the least successful financial indicators.

The rise and fall of Umeå IK

ABSTRACT This essay addresses the rise and fall of the Swedish women’s club Umeå IK. The question is how a team from a city almost devoid of any football culture suddenly could become one of the most successful clubs in the world during the early 2000s? The theoretical basis consists of the concepts of local identity, glocalization and Manuel Castell’s analysis of the network society. The source material is a study of Umeå’s largest daily newspaper and eleven interviews. Umeå IK worked energetically to create a strong local network for a women’s club (consisting of good contacts with the municipality, high income from sponsors, good media coverage and high attendances). The university city of Umeå was dynamic and progressive, with a strong middle-class character. The population could identify with the team. However, the city’s volatility meant that the team did not get long-lasting significance in terms of the city’s identity.

Evaluation of Match Results of Five Successful Football Clubs With Ensemble Learning Algorithms

ABSTARCT Purpose: Football, one of the most popular and loved sports branches, always keeps its excitement, ambition, passion, joy and sadness together. European football, the football capital, is an attraction for fans and footballers. In this study, the official match results (league, country cup, European cup) of five successful football clubs (Bayern Munchen, Barcelona, Juventus, Manchester City, Paris Saint Germain) in the five major leagues of European football (La Liga, Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1) were evaluated. Method: For this analysis, ensemble learning algorithms (AdaBoost, Bagging) and machine learning algorithms (Naive Bayes, artificial neural networks, K-nearest neighbor, C4.5/Random forest/Reptree decision tree) were used. In addition, the attributes that play an active role in the classification of the match results of five successful football clubs were determined with the Symmetrical Uncertainty feature selection algorithm. Results: As effective attributes, “Conceded goal,” “Half time result,” “Scoring first” and “Shooting accuracy” attributes revealed to be common for five successful football clubs. In general, it was observed that ensemble learning algorithms gave successful results and AdaBoost/ANN algorithm was determined as the most successful. On the basis of football clubs, the most successful classification result was achieved for Barcelona with a rate of 99.3%. Conclusions: Obtained outputs from Ensemble learning and feature selection help sport researchers and football club planners understand and revise the match results of current football match strategies. The study has mainly twofold: to find best performer ensemble and machine learning algorithm(s) for classifying match results and to extract important features on match results.

United in defeat: shared suffering and group bonding among football fans

ABSTRACT Purpose Evidence shows that the least successful clubs have the most committed fans – why? Here, we test the “shared-dysphoria-pathway-to-fusion” (SDPF) hypothesis that fans of the least successful clubs become irrevocably “fused” to their club and to each other, as a result of sharing self- and club-defining memories of past defeats. Design To assess the SDPF hypothesis, we calculated the most and least successful clubs from the UK’s top league, the Premier League, over a 10-year period. We then invited fans of these clubs to complete a survey (N = 752), comprising qualitative recollections of football events, quantitative survey measures of identity fusion and psychological kinship, and a trolley dilemma measuring willingness to sacrifice one’s self to save fellow supporters. Findings Our mediation model supported the SDPF hypothesis. Fans of Crystal Palace, Hull, Norwich, Sunderland, and West Bromwich Albion were more bonded and more willing to sacrifice themselves for other fans of their club than were fans of Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool or Manchester City. Across clubs, memories of past football defeats formed an essential part of fans’ self-concepts, thus fusing them to their club. Identity fusion in turn predicted a readiness to lay down one’s life to save fellow fans, and this relationship was statistically mediated by psychological kinship. Practical implications Understanding that shared suffering can lead to extreme bonding may help sports clubs and policy makers manage crowd behaviour. Clubs will benefit from tailoring brand management and fan retainment strategies to the SDPF hypothesis. In addition, these findings provide insight into the motivations of oppressed or persecuted groups, and such others fused through shared sufferings, helping us better understand and manage the psychological processes that can lead to extreme self-sacrifice. Research contributions This is the first study to show mediational support for the SDPF hypothesis in relation to football fandom. The psychological mechanism that may have once bonded embattled foraging groups in our ancestral past, now works in the modern world to unite soccer fans, among other kinds of groups, in their millions.

СТРУКТУРА ТА ЕФЕКТИВНІСТЬ ІНВЕСТИЦІЙ У СПОРТИВНУ ІНДУСТРІЮ КРАЇН (НА ПРИКЛАДІ ЕКОНОМІКИ НІМЕЧЧИНИ)

In the last thirty years sport is turning into business and football clubs are developing into large corporations. Sports industry has been becoming not just more exciting but also highly lucrative. The value of professional football sector is estimated to be about 8 billion euros. Even more investors see sports leagues or football clubs as profitable investments. For instance, European Super League can be taken, which could have been more profitable for investors than other competitions and attracted such sponsor as JPMorgan Chase. However, in the near future such project has no support from governments and other clubs and therefore has no future yet. One type of investment in the sports industry is the purchase of shares in sports clubs. Borussia Dortmund is a German football club, one of the most successful clubs in the world, which plays in the Bundesliga, the top tier of the German league system. Dortmund’s shares are listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Borussia is the only club in Germany and among approximately 25 clubs in the world, including few British and Italian clubs, whose shares are publicly traded. Even more clubs are considering going public to increase its capital. One of the biggest clubs in Belgium, Brugge examined such opportunity, though the club postponed their initial public offering because of the low demand. On the contrary, Ukrainian football club Veres started selling its shares in April 2021 and during the first day have received bids for the purchase of stocks for the amount of over 36 million hryvnas. However, the benefit for the investor might be only the increase of a share price as the club does not intend to pay out dividends. The article analyses the price of a club share for more than 20 years and historical dividends. Borussia’s stock is analysed using futures contracts. It also examines such indicators as return on invested capital (ROIC), weighted average cost of capital (WACC), return on assets (ROA), which are compared with those of Manchester United, Juventus, Lazio and Ajax. A model is being built to predict the stock price during COVID-19 and before the start of the pandemic to compare price fluctuations and model errors.

Differences in body composition between young soccer players (U19) members of the best soccer clubs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia

Background and Study Aim: The aim of this research was to determine the differences between the young soccer players (U19) in terms of anthropometric characteristics and body composition. We considered players of three the most successful clubs in three countries of the southern region of the Balkan Peninsula. Material and Methods: The first sub-sample of the subjects was consisted of 19 players of FC Radnicki from Serbia of the average age 17.84±.37. The second sub-sample was consisted of 19 players of FC Sarajevo from Bosnia and Herzegovina of the average age of 17.53±.51. The last sub-sample of the examinees was consisted of 13 players of FC Shkupi from North Macedonia of the average age 18.00±.00. Anthropometric characteristics in the body composition were evaluated by a battery of 11 variables. The significance of the differences between the young soccer players in the anthropometric characteristics and variables for assessing body composition were determined by ANOVA and LSD Post Hoc test. Results: The young soccer players of the three mentioned clubs have statistically significant differences by the two variables that estimate fat percentage and muscle mass. The young soccer players of FC Radnicki are significantly better in variable fat percentage than other players. The young soccer players of FC Skhupi have significantly less muscle mass than other players. Conclusions: The results can be useful for coaches of other clubs for making a comparison of their soccer players with the young soccer players in this research.

DIFFERENCES IN BODY COMPOSITION BETWEEN YOUNG FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF FOOTBALL CLUBS IN MONTENEGRO, BOSNIA AND KOSOVO

The aim of this research was to determine the differences between the young football players (U19) in terms of anthropometric characteristics and body composition of three the most successful clubs in three countries of the southern region of the Balkan Peninsula. These are FC Sutjeska from Montenegro, CSC Zrinjski from Bosnia and Herzegovina and FC Prishtina from Kosovo. This survey involved a sample of fifty-three young football players. In Montenegro, the measures have been established for thirteen young football players of FC Sutjeska of the average age 17.62±.87, in Bosnia and Herzegovina for 27 players of CSC Zrinjski of the average age of 17.33±.78, and in Kosovo for 13 players of FC Prishtina of the average age 17.77±.59. Football players were tested immediately after the end of the competition season 2018/19. Anthropometric characteristics and the body composition were evaluated by a battery of 11 variables: body height, body weight, triceps skinfold, biceps skinfold, skinfold of the back, abdominal skinfold, upper leg skinfold, lower leg skinfold, body mass index, fat percentage and muscle mass. The significance of the differences between the young football players of the three the most successful football clubs in their countries in the anthropometric characteristics and variables for assessing body composition were determined by ANOVA test. ANOVA test found that the young football players of the three mentioned clubs don’t have statistically significant differences by the variables.

Differences in anthropometric characteristics between young soccer players (U19) members of the best soccer clubs in Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo

Background and Study Aim: The aim of this research was to determine the differences between the young soccer players (U19) in terms of anthropometric characteristics and body composition. We considered players of three the most successful clubs in three countries of the southern region of the Balkan Peninsula. Material and Methods: The first sub-sample of the subjects was consisted of 17 players of OFC Titograd from Montenegro of the average age 17.12±.69. The second sub-sample was consisted of 14 players of FC Siroki Brijeg from Bosnia and Herzegovina of the average age of 18.14±.86. The last sub-sample of the examinees was consisted of 15 players of FC Feronikeli from Kosovo of the average age 18.07±.46. Anthropometric characteristics in the body composition were evaluated by a battery of 11 variables. The significance of the differences between the young soccer players in the anthropometric characteristics and variables for assessing body composition were determined by ANOVA and LSD Post Hoc test. Results: The young soccer players of the three mentioned clubs have statistically significant differences by the two variables that estimate the upper leg skinfold and fat percentage. The young soccer players of OFC Titograd are significantly better in variable upper leg skinfold than other players. The young soccer players of FC Feronikeli are significantly better in variable fat percentage than players of OFC Titograd. Conclusions: The results can be useful for coaches of other clubs for making a comparison of their soccer players with the young soccer players in this research.

Differences in anthropometric characteristics between young soccer players (U19) members of the best soccer clubs in Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo

Background and Study Aim: The aim of this research was to determine the differences between the young soccer players (U19) in terms of anthropometric characteristics and body composition. We considered players of three the most successful clubs in three countries of the southern region of the Balkan Peninsula. Material and Methods: The first sub-sample of the subjects was consisted of 17 players of OFC Titograd from Montenegro of the average age 17.12±.69. The second sub-sample was consisted of 14 players of FC Siroki Brijeg from Bosnia and Herzegovina of the average age of 18.14±.86. The last sub-sample of the examinees was consisted of 15 players of FC Feronikeli from Kosovo of the average age 18.07±.46. Anthropometric characteristics in the body composition were evaluated by a battery of 11 variables. The significance of the differences between the young soccer players in the anthropometric characteristics and variables for assessing body composition were determined by ANOVA and LSD Post Hoc test. Results: The young soccer players of the three mentioned clubs have statistically significant differences by the two variables that estimate the upper leg skinfold and fat percentage. The young soccer players of OFC Titograd are significantly better in variable upper leg skinfold than other players. The young soccer players of FC Feronikeli are significantly better in variable fat percentage than players of OFC Titograd. Conclusions: The results can be useful for coaches of other clubs for making a comparison of their soccer players with the young soccer players in this research.

Socio-economic factors that affect the demand for tickets in all Brazilian League tiers

The influence of socio-economic factors on the demand for football is under-investigated. This paper aims to offer evidence about the effects of socio-economic factors and historical success of clubs in the demand for tickets in all Brazilian League tiers. All football clubs that have participated at least once in one of the four Brazilian League Divisions from seasons 2013 to 2015 have been analyzed. The econometric approach consists of panel data ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions. Interaction terms are included to see the effect of historical success and socio-economic factors in different divisions. As a methodological contribution, an index to measure the historical success of clubs has been developed. This indicator evidences that successful clubs in the past are still driving fans attention together with current performance, increasing then seasonal attendance rates. Finally, this paper offers evidence that higher socio-economic indicators play an important role in attracting fans at lower levels as well.

AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia: footballing rivalry and shared political underdog status in Kenya

In competitive sport, especially soccer, rivalries constitute the highlight of any given season for such rivalries make for entertaining contests, marketability of the competitions and general following by the spectators. Indeed, rivalry adds to the competitive edge of the matches that is appealing and memorable, thereby fomenting a compelling legacy over the years. This essay focuses on the epic yet enduring rivalry between AFC Leopards (formerly Abaluhya United and also fondly called ‘Ingwe’ in Swahili) and Gor Mahia (also fondly called ‘K’Ogalo’) of Kenya – the two most successful and oldest football clubs in Kenya. These were formed to provide opportunities for socialization as well as forging of ethnic identities of the Abaluhya and Luo ethnic groups in the city of Nairobi, for AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia, respectively. This rivalry is, therefore, deeply rooted in the ethnic differences of the communities that were core to their formation and fan base. The essay will endeavour to explore the multidimensional nature of the rivalry concept and demonstrate how it applies in the Kenyan soccer scene using AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia Football Clubs as points of analysis. Additionally, it will demonstrate how the two teams’ fans, despite their bitter rivalry on the field, have occasionally rallied together in political matters given their shared legacy of being on the periphery of political and economic power in Kenya.

Comment on "Match Analysis of U9 and U10 English Premier League Academy Soccer Players Using a Global Positioning System: Relevance for Talent Identification and Development".

We read with interest the recent article written by Goto, Morris & Nevill: 'Match Analysis of U9 and U10 English Premier League Academy Soccer Players using a Global Positioning System: Relevance for Talent Identification and Development'. In summary, the authors reported time motion analysis data from match-play showing that players who were retained by their Academy covered a significantly greater distance overall and in low-speed running in comparison to peers who were released. Consequently, the authors discussed their results in the context of talent identification and development processes. In light of their findings and discussion, it is of our opinion that further debate in the context of the current body of literature is necessary.

‘An ambitious club on a small scale’: the rise of the Royal Isle of Wight Golf Club 1882–1914

ABSTRACTIn this article, the notable, but forgotten, history of the Royal Isle of Wight Golf Club (RIWGC), founded in 1882, is used to examine the cultural and social shifts that enabled the development of the sport's popularity across late Victorian and Edwardian society in Britain. The club can justifiably be described as notable because for a brief period this small island club was at the centre of developments which helped shape golf during this era and framed its development in the twentieth century. Two archetypally entrepreneurial Victorian gentlemen, Captain Jack Eaton and Charles John Jacobs, were central to the club's success and their endeavours underpinned the club's illustrious status. This paper examines newspaper records, periodicals and local archives to explain how the RIWGC originated and then prospered in tandem with the development of the Isle of Wight as an upmarket holiday destination. Moreover the article shows how the club provided access for both sexes of the English upper middle class to a sport and an environment that delivered the cultural benefits and the social kudos which could be derived from association with a golf club, and particularly one that was one of a select group of ‘Royal’ golf clubs. However, research also demonstrates that the club provided an environment where enterprising and talented men from less privileged backgrounds could seize the opportunity to become famous on the national and even the international stage. Finally it will demonstrate that the RIWGC had a significant role in codifying the rules of golf in the 1880s when the R&A appeared hesitant to take the lead.

Education and professional qualifications of sports experts highest table tennis Serbian league

The survey was conducted on a sample of 40 table tennis coaches from the most successful clubs in the Republic of Serbia, including the Super League (10) and the First Division League (10) for men and women (10 + 10). The aim of the research was to (1) determine the coaches' level of qualifications and competence in the 2015/2016 season, and to (2) determine the differences in the level of education and a desire for further improvement. The results indicate that most table-tennis coaches (40.0%) have only completed secondary school education, 50% work in the Women's First Division League, 40% work in the Men's Super League and the First Division League, while 30% work in the Women's Super League. In the higher division clubs we found slightly higher number of coaches with higher levels of education than in the lower division clubs. No major difference was detected in education between the coaches in the Men's First Division League and the Men's Super League, nor for the coaches in Women's Super League and Women's First Division League. The highest percentage of coaches (62.5%) have completed the course for operational coaches, and 15% have no formal sports education. For more than half of the surveyed coaches (57.5%) the coaching is a second job while for 40% is the main job (of which 50% work in the Men's Super League and 40% work in the Women's Super League. The coaches were dissatisfied with their financial compensation (72.5%), while only 27.5% were satisfied . Satisfaction is greater among those working in the Super League (50%) compared to those in Men's First Division League (20%) while the coaches in Women's Super League were more satisfied (30%) compared to the Women's First Division League (10 %). A higher investment in Super League coaches was observed and is probably driven by the higher rang and quality of competition Furthermore, the greater investment in the Men's Super League coaches compared to Women's Super League coaches was observed. The highest percentage of coaches held 5-7 sessions per week devided into two sessions per day. The greatest desire for further improvement was found among coaches who worked in the highest leagues for both men's and women's leagues. There was a greater desire for further improvement and advancement among the Super League coaches compared to the Premier League.

Banning Controversial Sponsors: Understanding Equilibrium Outcomes When Sports Sponsorships Are Viewed as Two-Sided Matches

This article applies a two-sided matching model to investigate the consequences of banning controversial sponsors. Using a data set containing the shirt sponsorships from 43 English football clubs between 1990 and 2010, the authors' estimates suggest assortative matching between a club's attendance and a sponsor's revenue. In addition, sponsorships become less valuable as the distance between the club and the sponsor's head office grows, particularly for low-performing clubs and smaller domestic sponsors. The authors use these estimates to simulate the consequences of banning alcohol and gambling sponsors. Their estimates of counterfactual outcomes suggest that such bans may not have the largest impact on the clubs (particularly the relatively successful clubs) that currently have alcohol and gambling sponsors. Instead, clubs with low attendance and clubs in low-income areas will be most affected by a ban. More generally, the results demonstrate that when marketing relationships are viewed as the result of a matching process, actions that affect only some marketers may have substantial indirect effects on a variety of players in the market.

Football at the ‘End of the Line’: Economic Decline, Cross-Subsidies and Football League Membership in the NW Steel District of England

Sporting leagues are generally based on collectivist principles, as the members need one another to produce their product. For much of its existence, the Football League has functioned as a cartel, operating income-sharing arrangements and controlling its membership. In the period from 1959 to 1986, a limited number of clubs left the League through the re-election process, in modest recognition of geographical logic, as clubs from growth areas to the south typically replaced clubs from more traditional economic areas that were often over-represented in the Football League. Clubs are widely seen to be utility-maximisers seeking success. Success in a sporting league is defined in a precise and relativist way and this article focuses on two of the least successful clubs to have played in the Football League, Barrow AFC and Workington FC, whose failure to obtain repeated re-election in the 1970s removed the only Football League clubs in a distinct economic zone, the north-west coastal steel district. This article examines the re-election mechanism and the particular economic factors that affected these two clubs, ranging from the decline of their main local industry to changes in the levels of and responsibilities attaching to rising cross-subsidy payments in the Football League.

Long gone the glory days

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the catalyzing factors team managers of previously successful European football clubs could capitalize on in order to build or rebuild the brand identity of their respective team via the Europa League. Design/methodology/approach – The authors followed a case analysis method. The authors selected teams that have had a history of good performance in European competitions in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s, before falling off the radar. A total of 19 teams, representing 15 countries, accepted the invitation. Findings – The managers underlined eight major catalyzing factors. The managers specifically emphasize the importance of branding and how it can crystallize the promise these teams articulate to their fans, on and off the football pitch. Moreover, the values that a team encapsulates and communicates through its daily actions seem to represent the essence of the brand. Research limitations/implications – One risk relates to the respondents who could very well know what a brand is and how a brand should be managed in theory, but it does not necessarily mean that they know how to do it at all. Practical implications – The paper highlighted the importance of shrewd management, especially when resources are scarce. A competition such as the Europa League might provide some room to maneuver but, above all, the organization must deliver the brand promise to its fans. Originality/value – This is one of the first studies looking at the leverage a European football competition could provide to previously successful clubs.

Kidumatica- the Mathematics Club for Creativity and Excellence Among Multicultural Pupils: Practice and Research

This study examined the perceptions of students, aged 10-17, who participate in “Kidumatica” a highly successful extracurricular club for mathematically talented youth. Kidumatica is marked by several unique characteristics: a fair and balanced identification system, expert mathematics instructors, personal mentoring, challenging curriculum and assignments, problem based learning, and a special assessment method known as “rating.” We sought to determine how – according to Kidumatica's students, each of these separate characteristics contributes to the advancement of their creativity and excellence and thus to the club's success. Using a questionnaire analyzed through two sets of categories – one based on research literature and one on observations of Kidumatica itself – we found that Kidumatica is perceived positively overall, with success resting primarily on its challenging and innovative content, and on its problem-based pedagogy.

The Berlusconization of Post-Soviet Football in Russia and the Ukraine: Money Scores Goals, Goals Win Titles, and Titles Win Popularity

Abstract The Berlusconization of post-Soviet professional football in Ukraine and Russia highlights the close connection between politics, business, and football. The former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi built a position of political power through his connection with professional soccer. In 1986, Berlusconi, a multi-millionaire who made his fortune through construction and television, bought AC Milan. Berlusconi was able to use the popularity gained by owning one of Europe’s most successful clubs to sharpen his political profile to such an extent that he was elected as prime minister of Italy three times. After the fall of the Soviet Union and the mass privatization of assets, football clubs, especially in the Ukraine, fell into the hands of rich businessmen or oligarchs. These oligarchs then used the popularity of football clubs to secure political positions. This system was then copied in Russia where Moscow used football, especially in the Caucasus, to achieve political goals.

Myth or Reality of the Revier Derby? Schalke 04 versus Borussia Dortmund (1947–2007)

For the Ruhr district, an urban area in the North-West of Germany, the meeting of the two most popular and successful football clubs in the region, Schalke 04 and Borussia Dortmund, has for years been a polarising, emotional and sensational sporting event. No where else in the country and in no other sport more than in football is the rivalry between the football clubs and its fans so strong still today. Is this so called Revier derby a constructed myth or real history? Considering the derbies in the regional print media with the help of a content analysis and facing them with sport and regional history show at least two things: from the 1930s till the 1970s a long period of friendly partnership existed between the two clubs. Later, the emotional derby character of the match increased while a general regional identity developed in the Ruhr district since the 1980s, and even more since the 1990s. The socio-economical crisis in the mining industry and the increasing violence in the football stadiums supported this trend. The claim of a ‘historical’ existence of the Revier derby traced back till the early period of the Revier football is hence a media-prone, artificially created myth.