Professional Football Players: between Intangible and Financial Assets

Since the 1980s, the economic development of professional football has meant that clubs, particularly in Europe, have had to find new sources of financing to cope with inflation in the cost of players. With structurally unprofitable operations, clubs have had to innovate to make themselves more attractive to investors. In the context of building closer ties with finance, clubs are using players, the clubs' main assets, to attract investors. This article examines such practices by characterizing their operating rationale in order to shed light on how professional football players may today be considered as financial products.