Skip to 0 minutes and 0 seconds “I’ve never seen a bag of money score a goal.” That was Johan Cruyff, one of football’s greatest minds,
Skip to 0 minutes and 6 seconds highlighting a truth at the heart of the game: success isn’t just about money. Yet in modern football, finances can often dictate performance, sustainability ,and even survival. As transfer fees and player wages at the top level in the Premier League continue to rise ever higher, complex financial operations have come to influence every aspect of the game, right down to the grass roots. For fans of the beautiful game, understanding profit and sustainability rules has become as important as interpreting the offside rule. In this eight week course from the University of Stirling will explore the crucial role of finance in football, from ownership models to financial regulations and the ever growing commercialisation of the game.
Skip to 0 minutes and 50 seconds We’ll also look at some important financial principles and their applications in the football industry, developing skills to critically assess the financial strategies of clubs. We’ll also speak to some important organisations who helped to shape the game at various levels, like the SPFL Trust and Supporters Direct Scotland, and try to tackle some big questions such as who really owns football? How do third sector football organisations measure their social value, and what does the future look like for football finance? While football will always be decided on the pitch, the financial decisions made off it shape the success and sustainability of clubs at every level.
Skip to 1 minute and 27 seconds Whether you’re a student, a football executive or a passionate fan, we hope you’ll gather the tools required to analyze how money moves throughout the football industry and why. Despite all the financial complexities, the game remains about so much more than just the balance sheet.
