Invest on football clubs: Strategies, competitiveness and financial valuation models applied to Manchester United plc.

Abstract

The economic dimension of sport, especially of football, has been reaching high levels that never achieved, characterized primarily by significant degree of insight at the public, guaranteed by the spread of sporting activities and by the huge capability to generate important cash flows in a wide economic context, so as to allow a changing process from an under-financed sport to a high-profile industry. The goal of the work is to point out the importance of the football business through its development in the modern framework, the worldwide impact that a professional football club could gain and mostly gives to the public audience. With brief descriptions of regulation improvements and business management models, we would analyze the growing experience of Manchester United Football Club, in all its nuances, from the most important events that characterized its success history on the sport and on the profitability context, till our days. We will underline its business activity bringing the magnifying glass on the economic and financial structures, giving an accurate market valuation through methods suggested by the practice (DCF and Multiple analysis) and forward-looking statements based on reasonable assumptions on future sport events, business drivers and uncertainties linked to them. We will analyze the importance of relying on experienced and long story management which has brought in the past, leads in the present and will push in the future to great sporting successes and mostly worth economic performances.