Professional football teams that once chose to list their stock in the exchange markets have started to delist in the last few years. This study presents a modified version of Altman’s 1968 bankruptcy model and applies multivariate discriminant analysis to predict which financial and socioeconomic factors affect a team’s decision to delist from a stock market. Our non-metric dependent variable is listed/delisted teams, while our independent variables include a number of Altman’s financial ratios, GDP per capita, winning percentage, and two measures specific to soccer franchises–broadcasting and sponsorship revenues. Data are obtained for a total of 37 European teams, out of which 21 remained listed, while 16 were delisted at the time this study was written. Results suggest that the two main variables affecting a delisting decision are broadcasting revenues and working capital. Wealthier football teams that remain listed could benefit from our results by focusing on maintaining a positive working capital, while for smaller teams it might be wise to find alternative revenue sources other than TV revenues.
