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French Football

Author

Listed:
  • Wladimir Andreff

    (University Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne)

Abstract

This article contends that a French football exception is not an absent financial crisis but its hidden shape because of undisciplined club behavior and a lack of transparency and disclosure. French football is characterized by a lax financial management and a soft-budget constraint at the club level. The latter results from a weak governance structure in the league and clubs. Shareholders behave as non-profit-seeking investors or patrons. The arms race to enroll the most efficient players fuels wage inflation that is hardly balanced by newly emerging sources of finance. The more a club is able to attract broadcast revenues, the more likely it is to be in the red. Policy recommendations include strengthening the governance structure, restoring financial discipline, and defining compulsory thresholds for some clubs' financial ratios.

Suggested Citation

  • Wladimir Andreff, 2007. "French Football," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 8(6), pages 652-661, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:jospec:v:8:y:2007:i:6:p:652-661
    DOI: 10.1177/1527002506297021
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. J. Kornai & E. Maskin & G. Roland, 2004. "Understanding the Soft Budget Constraint," Voprosy Ekonomiki, NP Voprosy Ekonomiki, issue 11.
    2. Wladimir Andreff & Paul Staudohar, 2000. "The Evolving European Model of Professional Sports Finance," Post-Print halshs-00274661, HAL.
    3. Wladimir Andreff, 2005. "The financial crisis in French Soccer: About a French Senate Report," IASE Conference Papers 0501, International Association of Sports Economists.
    4. Wladimir Andreff, 2000. "Financing Modern Sport in the Face of a Sporting Ethic," Post-Print halshs-00274660, HAL.
    5. Claude Jeanrenaud & Stefan Késenne (ed.), 2006. "The Economics of Sport and the Media," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 4122.
    6. Wladimir Andreff, 2006. "Broadcasting rights and competition in European football," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) halshs-00270140, HAL.
    7. Wladimir Andreff, 2006. "Broadcasting rights and competition in European football," Post-Print halshs-00270140, HAL.
    8. Jean-Jacques Gouguet & Didier Primault, 2006. "The French Exception," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 7(1), pages 47-59, February.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Carlos Pestana Barros & Nicolas Peypoch & Scott Tainsky, 2014. "Cost efficiency of French soccer league teams," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(8), pages 781-789, March.
    2. Carlos Pestana Barros & Gaël Bertrand & Laurent Botti & Scott Tainsky, 2014. "Cost efficiency of French rugby clubs," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(23), pages 2721-2732, August.
    3. Girish Ramchandani & Daniel Plumley & Adam Davis & Rob Wilson, 2023. "A Review of Competitive Balance in European Football Leagues before and after Financial Fair Play Regulations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-15, February.
    4. Wladimir Andreff, 2009. "Équilibre compétitif et contrainte budgétaire dans une ligue de sport professionnel," Revue économique, Presses de Sciences-Po, vol. 60(3), pages 591-633.
    5. Andrews, Matt & Harrington, Peter, 2016. "Off Pitch: Football's Financial Integrity Weaknesses, and How to Strengthen Them," Working Paper Series 16-009, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government.
    6. Wladimir Andreff, 2008. "Globalization of the sports economy," Rivista di Diritto ed Economia dello Sport, Centro di diritto e business dello Sport, vol. 4(3), pages 13-32, Dicembre.
    7. Budzinski, Oliver, 2024. "Financial regulation in sport championships as an anticompetitive institution," Ilmenau Economics Discussion Papers 187, Ilmenau University of Technology, Institute of Economics.

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