Economic and Sporting Performance and Player Registration Rights in Italian Soccer: Connections?

This study focuses on the possible links between the main revenues obtained from the financial statements of soccer clubs, players’ registration rights (PRRs), and sports success. The topic is developed by processing much data from the Italian premier league soccer championship (year 2017/2018) and a sample of 100 financial statements of Italian Serie A clubs for the period between 2013/14 and 2017/18. The data were analysed by the models of “linear regression” and “fixed effects for panel data” for more consecutive years. The study showed that there is a virtuous circle between the main revenues, players’ multi-year rights, and sports success. The main revenues (TV rights, sponsors, and advertising) increase the PRRs and the possible capital gains derived from the termination that are often necessary to achieve the conditions of economic and financial balance required to register for soccer leagues. Investing in players’ registration rights also leads to better sports results.