FROM INVESTMENT LOGIC TO ACCOUNTING CONSTRAINTS: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND OPERATIONAL MATRIX FOR RISKS, IMPAIRMENT AND FINANCIAL GOVERNANCE IN SPORT
FROM INVESTMENT LOGIC TO ACCOUNTING CONSTRAINTS: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND OPERATIONAL MATRIX FOR RISKS, IMPAIRMENT AND FINANCIAL GOVERNANCE IN SPORT

Summary/Abstract: The article examines the accounting reflection of sports investments within multi-entity and multi-sport portfolios, in which the investment logic (value creation through brand, sports performance and media exposure) interacts with the constraints of financial reporting (recognition, valuation, depreciation, depreciation and consolidation). The approach is predominantly theoretically applied, based on conceptual and documentary analysis, without claiming to investigate a singular “particular case”. Methodologically, the study uses the triangulation between (i) the academic literature on financial reporting in sport, with a focus on specific intangibles (rights to athletes), impairment and quality of disclosures; (ii) records from audit practice, through recurring topics in Key Audit Matters (KAM) reported for listed European clubs; and (iii) the compliance frameworks of sports regulators, in particular UEFA’s licensing and financial sustainability requirements. On this basis, the paper proposes (a) an investment classification scheme (equity / M&A, intangibles, infrastructure, sponsorship / marketing, technological capabilities and talent development), (b) an IFRS / IAS mapping of the relevant accounting treatments and (c) an operational matrix of misstatement risks. The main contribution is an integrated tool for the interpretation and governance of sports investment reporting, extendable to multi-jurisdiction portfolios and useful to investors, creditors and internal audit/control functions.

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