Sport & Stadia Management

“Sport and Stadia Management” Research Laboratory

Sport has clearly become a global business—but in fact it has been since long before “globalisation” was invented. International sport dates back to the 19th century, and the commercial exploitation of sport is even older than that. What is new is the degree of commercialisation and its spread to emerging markets.

One sign is that capital is chasing sporting profit across borders. For example, nine of the 20 football clubs in the English Premier League last season were owned by foreigners.

Another sign is the international integration of sport’s labour markets. Brazilian footballers, for instance, turn up in leagues from the Faroe Islands to Vietnam. Successful sportsmen and women are now earning sums that the stars of a generation ago could not have dreamed of. Money from broadcasters and sponsors inflates pay packets to eye-popping dimensions, especially when an attractive image meets sporting brilliance.

Sport’s product markets, too, are becoming ever more global as Western businesses target the newly affluent in developing countries. And those developing economies, notably India in cricket, are creating powerful sports businesses of their own. Ambitious countries in Asia and the Gulf want their own tennis tournaments and Grand Prix.

The old marriage of media and sport has proved durable because it is so mutually beneficial. What they both get out of it is eyeballs. The sports business is based on the idea that people are willing to pay to watch others play, and television expands the audience vastly, from thousands inside the stadium to millions outside. For broadcasters, more eyeballs mean more subscribers and advertisers. And sport is one of the few things that still has people tuning in by the million.

More recently, stadiums and arena played an increasingly crucial role in the sports and in particular in football clubs growth strategies.

From rebranding, modernization to capacity increases, stadium refurbishments and new stadium projects are becoming headline hitters for the investments they involve and the organizational transformation they require in the sport clubs.

The live experience of a match inside a stadium is also a defining part of being a sport fan and it is one of the key factors that continues to pull in match-day revenue and allows to develop new relationships with business partners and to increase fans’ commitment.

In particular, football stadia are increasingly crucial to the commercial strategies of football clubs for a variety of different reasons.

The ICRIM Research Lab. in Sport and Stadia Management explore these issues that make sport a global business as well as a recreation for billions.

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Research produced by the Sport & Stadia Management lab:

  • Ghio, A., Ruberti, M., & Verona, R. (2019). Financial constraints on sport organizations’ cost efficiency: The impact of financial fair play on Italian soccer clubs. Applied Economics, 51(24), 2623-2638.
  • Bernardo, G., Ruberti, M., & Verona, R. (2019). Semi-strong inefficiency in the fixed odds betting market: Underestimating the positive impact of head coach replacement in the main European soccer leagues. The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, 71, 239-246.
  • Ghio, A., Ruberti, M., and Verona, R. (2019). Financial constraints on sport organizations’ cost efficiency: The impact of financial fair play on Italian soccer clubs. Applied Economics, 51(24), 2623-2638.
  • Bernardo, G., Ruberti, M., and Verona, R. (2019). Semi-strong inefficiency in the fixed odds betting market: Underestimating the positive impact of head coach replacement in the main European soccer leagues. The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, 71, 239-246.
  • Penn, R. and D. Berridge (2019) Competitive balance in the English Premier League, European Journal for Sport and Society, 16:1, 64-82, DOI: 10.1080/16138171.2019.1577329
  • Rossi, G. (2018) Football team performance efficiency and effectiveness in a corruptive context: the Calciopoli case. European Sport Management Quarterly ISSN 1618-4742. (In Press)
  • Rossi, G. (2018) Forecasting with social media: evidence from tweets on soccer matches. Economic Inquiry 56 (3), pp. 1748-1763. ISSN 0095-2583.
  • Fumarco, L. and Rossi, G. (2018) The relative age effect on labour market outcomes – evidence from Italian football. European Sport Management Quarterly 18 (4), pp. 501-516. ISSN 1618-4742.
  • Rossi, G. (2017) The relative age effect reversal among the National Hockey League elite. PLoS One ISSN 1932-6203.
  • Carmichael, F. and Rossi, G. and Thomas, D. (2017) Production, efficiency, and corruption in Italian Serie A football. Journal of Sports Economics 18 (1), pp. 34-57. ISSN 1527-0025.
  • Penn, R., and Berridge, D. (2016). The dynamics of quadropoly: League position in English football between 1888 and 2010. The International Journal of the History of Sport, 33(3), 325-340.DOI: 10.1080/09523367.2016.1175439.
  • Penn, R., and Berridge, D. (2016). Football and the Military in Contemporary Britain: An Exploration of Invisible Nationalism. Armed Forces & Society, December 2016, pp 1-23. DOI: 10.1177/0095327X16682784.
  • Penn, R. (2016) Football Talk: Sociological Reflections on the Dialectics of Language and Football’ European Journal for Sport & Society, Volume 13, Issue 2, 2016, 154-166, DOI: 10.1080/16138171.2016.1183931
  • Sottoriva, C., Vecchiato, C. (2015), Le problematiche di rilevazione contabile degli sponsoring agreements nell’attuale contesto evolutivo del calcio professionistico, Rivista di Diritto ed Economia dello Sport. (1/2015): 187-224.
  • Bryson, A. and Rossi, G. and Simmons, R. (2014) The Migrant Wage Premium in Professional Football: A Superstar Effect?. Kyklos: International Review For Social Science 67 (1), pp. 12-28. ISSN 0023-5962.
  • Barros, C. and Rossi, G. (2014) A Bayesian stochastic frontier of Italian football. Applied Economics 46 (20), pp. 2398-2407. ISSN 0003-6846.
  • Penn, R. (2013). Football, nationalism and globalisation: A comparison of English and Italian football between 1930 and 2010. European Journal for Sport and Society, 10(4), 345-364.
  • Sottoriva, C. (2012) Considerazioni in merito al trattamento fiscale ai fini IRAP delle plusvalenze nell’ambito delle società di calcio professionistiche, Diritto e Pratica Tributaria, 2012; Vol. LXXXIII – n. 4 (Luglio-Agosto): 637-664.
  • Baroncelli, A., and Caruso, R. (2011) “The Organization and Economics of Italian Serie A: A Brief Overall View”, Rivista di Diritto ed Economia dello Sport, Vol. VII, Fasc. 2 ISSN 1825-6678.
  • Sottoriva, C., (2011) La qualificazione del c.d. “titolo sportivo” nel trasferimento d’azienda nell’ambito di procedure concorsuali, Le Società, 2011; (Luglio): 769-783
  • Sottoriva, C. and Benoldi, A. (2011) La disciplina della redazione del bilancio di esercizio delle società di calcio. Confronto con l’esperienza internazionale ed impatto del c.d. “Financial Fair Play”, Rivista di Diritto ed Economia dello Sport, 2011; Vol. VII (Giugno): 147-191.
  • Hamil, S., Morrow, S., Idle, C., Rossi, G., Faccendini, S. Hassan, D. and Hamil, S., eds. (2010) The governance and regulation of Italian football. Sport in the Global Society – Contemporary Perspectives. Soccer & Society 11 (4), pp. 373-413. ISSN 1466-0970. ISBN 9780415445702.
  • Penn, R. (2008) The English Football Stadium as a Site of Post-Modern  Consumption: Text and Image’ Sociologia del Lavoro, No. 108, 2008, pp 141-147. ISSN 0392-5048.
  • Baroncelli, A. (2007) Un altro scandalo del calcio, Politica in Italia, Il Mulino, pp. 269-293. ISBN 9788815119049.
  • Baroncelli, A., and Lago, U. (2006). Italian football. Journal of Sports Economics,7(1), 13-28 doi: 10.1177/1527002505282863 Impact Factor:0.578
  • Baroncelli, A. (2006). Calciopoli: Reasons and Scenarios for the Soccer Scandal. Italian Politics, 22, 226-248. ISSN: 10864946.
  • Penn, R. (2005) Football Spectators in English and Italian Stadia. Soccer Review, 4, 2005, pp31-33 ISBN 0-9544311-4-6.
  • Penn, R. (2005) Cathedrals of Sport: Football Stadia in Contemporary England. Soccer Review, 4, 2005, pp27-30 ISBN 0-9544311-4-6.
  • Penn, R. (2002) Football and Local Economic Development., Soccer Review, pp 58-62, 0-9544311-1-1.
  • Penn, R. (2002) Management of a Football Club: A Case Study of Blackburn Rovers F.C., Soccer Review, pp 40-6, 0-9544311-1-1.

Book

  • Gigante, G., Sottoriva, C. (2021) Economia, gestione e finanza dei football club professionistici, Egea, Milano 2021: 394.
  • Penn, R. (2018). From Comparative Analysis to Final Publication: Nationalism and Globalization in English and Italian Football Since 1930. SAGE Publications Ltd.
  • Rossi, G. and Semens, A. and Brocard, J.F. (2016) Sports agents and labour markets: evidence from world football. Routledge Research in Sport Business and Management. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. ISBN 9781138015227.
  • Sottoriva, C., Lenzi, P. (2013) L’applicazione del financial fair play alle società di calcio professionistiche. Indicazioni operative e considerazioni critiche, Aracne, Roma: 627.
  • Lago, U., A. Baroncelli e S. Szymanski (2004), Il business del calcio, EGEA.Milano. ISBN 88-238-3056-7.
  • Penn, R. (2004) Cathedrals of Sport: Football Stadia in Contemporary England. ISBN 1-86220-164-1.
  • Penn, R. (2004) Football Spectators in England and Italy ISBN 1-86220-165-X.
  • Penn, R. (2003) Sport and Local Economic Development ISBN 1-86220-130-7.

Book Sections

  • Sottoriva, C. (2020) La disciplina della redazione del bilancio di esercizio delle società di calcio professionistiche, in Fabio Iudic, F. I. (ed.), Diritto sportivo, Giappichelli Editore, Torino 2020: 724- 765.
  • Rossi, G. (2018) Agents and intermediaries. In: Chadwick, S. and Parnell, D. and Widdop, P. and Anagnostopoulos, C. (eds.) Handbook of Football Business and Management. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. pp. 131-143. ISBN 9781138579071.
  • Penn, R. (2018) Multiple Methods in Action: Association Football, the Military and Invisible Nationalism. SAGE Research Methods Cases, London: Sage: 2018. ISBN: 978-1-526-43870-6. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781526438706
  • Penn, R. (2018) From Comparative Analysis to Publication: Nationalism and Globalization in English and Italian Football. SAGE Research Methods Cases, London: Sage: 2018. ISBN: 978-1-526-44530-8 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781526445308
  • Penn, R. (2017) Association Football, the Armed Forces and Invisible Nationalism in Britain’ in P.Dolan and J. Connolly Sport and National Identities: Globalisation and Conflict London: Routledge 2017. ISBN: 978-1-138-69776-8, pp 171-191.
  • Penn, R. and D. Berridge (2013) The Determinants of League Position in English Football, 1888-2012. In A. Díaz, D. Sánchez, and J. Gavira, Sociology and Sport in Face of New Challenges. Cordoba: AESDE, 2013. ISBN 978-84-616-3995-3.
  • Penn, R. and D. Berridge (2013) Football, Nationalism and Globalization: a Comparison of England and Italy. In A. Díaz, D. Sánchez, and J. Gavira, Sociology and Sport in Face of New Challenges Cordoba: AESDE, 2013. ISBN 978-84-616-3995-3.
  • Baroncelli, A. and Caruso, R. (2011) The Organization and Economics of Italian Top Football”, in (eds. Gammelsæter H., Senaux B.) The Organization and Governance of Top Football Across Europe: An Institutional Perspective, Routledge, New York, 2011 pp. 168-181. ISBN-13: 978-0415851299.
  • Penn, R.,and Kiddy, M. (2009). Sport and health: The return of the local. In D. Jutting, B. Schulze and U. Müller (Eds.) Local SPORT in Europe (pp. 283–289). Berlin: Waxmann ISBN 978-3-8309-2015-1.
  • Baroncelli, A. (2007) Calciopoli: Reasons and Scenarios for the Soccer Scandal , in (eds. Briquet J., Mastropaolo A.) Italian Politics.  The Center-Left’s Poisoned Victory, Vol. 22, Berghahn Books, New York-Oxford, pp. 226-248, ISBN 978-1-884545-558-3; ISSN 1086-4946.
  • Penn, R. (2006) Sport e sviluppo economico locale : I’esperienza del calcio inglese. In Bortoletto, N. and Mazza, B. (eds), Tempi e Spazi dello Sport: Italia – Inghilterra Modelli a Confronto. Il Piccolo Libro: Teramo, Italy.
  • Penn, R. (2006) Gli spettatori negli stadi inglese ed italiani. In Bortoletto, N. and Mazza, B. (eds), Tempi e Spazi dello Sport: Italia – Inghilterra Modelli a Confronto. Il Piccolo Libro: Teramo, Italy.
  • Penn, R. (2006) Le Cattedrali dello Sport : gli stadi di calcio nell’ Inghilterra contemporanea. In Bortoletto, N. and Mazza, B. (eds), Tempi e Spazi dello Sport: Italia – Inghilterra Modelli a Confronto. Il Piccolo Libro: Teramo, Italy.
  • Baroncelli, A. and Lago U. (2004). Il business del calcio, In U. Lago, A. Baroncelli and S. Szymanski (eds), Il Business de Calcio, 2004, Cap. 1, pagg. 7-40, EGEA.Milano. ISBN 88-238-3056-7.
  • Baroncelli, A. (2004). Le regole del gioco, In U. Lago, A. Baroncelli and S. Szymanski (eds), Il Business de Calcio, 2004, Cap. 2, pagg. 41-68, EGEA.Milano. ISBN 88-238-3056-7.
  • Baroncelli, A. and Lago U. (2004). L’analisi economico-finanziaria delle società calcistiche, (con U. Lago). In U. Lago, A. Baroncelli and S. Szymanski (eds), Il Business de Calcio, 2004, Cap. 3, pagg. 69-110, EGEA.Milano. ISBN 88-238-3056-7.
  • Baroncelli, A. (2004). L’esperienza del Parma Calcio nella gestione del settore giovanile attraverso le relazioni intersocietarie, In U. Lago, A. Baroncelli and S. Szymanski (eds), Il Business de Calcio, 2004, Cap. 10, pagg. 228-254, EGEA.Milano. ISBN 88-238-3056-7.
  • Baroncelli, A. (2004). Il futuro del calcio, ovvero il complesso equilibrio tra obiettivi sportivi e obiettivi economico-finanziari. In U. Lago, A. Baroncelli and S. Szymanski (eds), Il Business de Calcio, 2004, Cap. 12, pagg. 276-303, EGEA.Milano. ISBN 88-238-3056-7.
  • Lago, U. and Rossi, G. (2004) Il processo di determinazione del salario di un calciatore professionista. In: Lago, U. Baroncelli, A. and Szymanski, S. (eds.) Il Business del Calcio. EGEA.Milano. ISBN 88-238-3056-7.
  • Penn, R. (2004) Sport e Sviluppo Locale: l’Esperienza del calcio inglese. In U. Lago, A. Baroncelli and S. Szymanski (eds), Il Business de Calcio, 2004, pp131-147. EGEA.Milano. ISBN 88-238-3056-7.
  • Penn, R. (2000) Il calcio in notturna e la città. Verso una economia della notte. In E. Minardi (ed.) Economia e Sociologia della Notte Homeless Books: Faenza.

Monograph

Conference Papers

  • Baroncelli, A. and Lago. U. (2004) Sport success and financial troubles. The situation of Italian football, International Workshop “La crisi finanziaria del calcio”, Rimini, Italy, 12th March, 2004.

Working Papers & Reports

  • Penn, R. (2001) Tourism Provision and Football in East Lancashire (A Report to the East Lancashire Partnership and Blackburn Rovers FC), July 2001. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.14606.87365
  • Penn, R. (1999) Ethnicity and Football Support (A Report to Blackburn Rovers FC), Lancaster University.
  • Penn, R. (1999) Corporate Hospitality: An Analysis of Client Satisfaction (A Report to Blackburn Rovers FC), Lancaster University.