Everything For Football, Everything for Society – Really?

Abstract Book of the 3rd Global Conference on Management and Economics

Year: 2026

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Everything For Football, Everything for Society – Really?

Prof. Dr. Mihai Mutascu

ABSTRACT:

This study explores the socioeconomic role of football across 54 UEFA member associations from 2011 to 2023, applying a panel Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) estimator to capture both short- and long-term dynamics. The findings reveal a robust and persistent long-run relationship between football activity and several major socioeconomic indicators. Over time, football is shown to exert a mitigating effect on labour productivity and educational attainment, potentially reflecting the diversion of time and resources toward football-related engagement. At the same time, it contributes positively to public health, suggesting that participation in or exposure to football activities fosters healthier lifestyles and improved well-being.
In the short run, football’s economic and psychological impacts are more volatile. Its influence on economic performance and happiness is inconsistent, often driven by immediate events such as competition outcomes or seasonal variations. These effects tend to dissipate relatively quickly, underscoring the transient nature of short-term fluctuations compared with the more stable long-term patterns.
The analysis also examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the shock itself is temporary, it significantly disrupts established relationships between football, employment, taxation, and wider socioeconomic variables, delaying the restoration of pre-pandemic trends.
Overall, the study emphasises UEFA’s important socioeconomic contribution. By promoting integration, community engagement, and social cohesion among member associations, UEFA plays a meaningful role in strengthening social ties across Europe through the unifying influence of football.

Keywords: Impact; Cointegration; Socioeconomic Outputs; Sport; Panel Models