Analyse des états financiers de dix clubs de football professionnel belges impactés par la pandémie du COVID-19

Abstract

Professional football has been hit by the exceptional Covid-19 crisis that will change the world as we know it today. This unprecedented event led to the interruption of the Belgian national championship, known as the Jupiler Pro League, on the 29th day of the season. With the immediate end of football activities, the professional football clubs suffered a significant loss of income. It turns out that Belgian football is heavily dependent on its ticketing revenues, as they represent 29% of the total turnover. This thesis examines how the financial statements of Belgian professional football clubs have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to provide an overview of the financial situation of ten professional football clubs at the end of the prematurely closed season, this study is mainly based on financial information published on databases accessible to the public. The results of the practical analysis led to the conclusion that some teams have shown signs of deterioration in their financial situations, probably due to the Covid-19 crisis. Nevertheless, other clubs have shown signs of improvement in their financial situations and continue to grow economically.