The role of legal forms in professional football

Abstract

In the event of a professional football club the fundamental sports objectives can get into contradiction with the intentions of the investor, who might wish, in many cases, to take care primarily for the increase of profits instead of serving the aims of football and the most important designation of a football club. In my study you will find an analysis of legal forms for football clubs, as well as the method of the management by owner determined primarily by such forms. We keep in mind primarily the aspect how these forms influence the possibilities of financing and the acquisition of capital. A form of entrepreneurship and management which takes into account the possibilities of a football club allows for the implementation of the most important objectives of sports, even if it is necessary to involve a considerable amount of capital. Through transportation into an incorporated firm with the appropriate shaping and operation of a group of companies, the aims of capitalisation will also be pursued, while the sports objectives remain the primary ones. (Such forms are limited liability companies, limited partnerships, share companies, registered associations, etc.) On the basis of foreign experience our study intends to make findings and proposals in order to serve establishing and operating such forms of enterprises, which will create – in addition to the priority of sports objectives – also broad possibilities for capitalisation in professional football.