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The relationship between leverage and firm performance has been a subject of great interest to researchers, but the empirical findings are, at best, mixed. Against this background, we attempt to investigate this controversial issue by hypothesizing the nonlinearity of this relationship. Specifically, we aim to determine whether there exists an optimal threshold of firm size above which increasing levels of debt stop undermining (or start enhancing) firm performance.

Our study uses a nonlinear modeling specification, that is, the Panel Smooth Transition Regression (PSTR) model proposed by González et al. (2005). This model is a fixed-effects panel that accounts for cross-country heterogeneity and time variability, while also allowing for smooth transitions between a limited number of “extreme regimes.”

The study reveals a statistically significant negative relationship between leverage and firm performance for firms below size thresholds. But after exceeding these thresholds, firms can experience a substantial increase in accounting and financial performance.

The authors offer novel insights into the contingent role played by firm size on the capital structure–performance nexus. To our knowledge, few studies have delved into the threshold effects of leverage on firm performance. The threshold firm size level can be considered, therefore, as a benchmark for firms in optimizing their capital structure. From this perspective, small-sized firms are invited to prioritize internal financing to avoid the detrimental impact of depts on their performance. However, large-sized firms may find it advantageous to leverage external financing through debt in order to potentially enhance their performance.

This paper investigates the relationship between sporting performance and the market value of European football clubs, with a particular focus on the moderating effect of player transfers, fan engagement and coaching changes.

Using a Cross-Sectional Augmented Auto Regressive Distributed Lagged Model (CS-ARDL), we analyze a decade of data (2013–2023) from fourteen prominent clubs across ten European leagues.

Our findings confirm a strong positive correlation between sporting performance and market value in European football clubs. Furthermore, the research reveals that strategic player transfers and high fan engagement significantly amplify the positive impact of on-field success on a club's valuation. Interestingly, coaching changes do not exhibit a significant moderating effect on this relationship.

These findings carry significant economic implications for the football industry, underscoring sporting success as not only a driver of economic growth and social development but also a vital source of funding for clubs seeking to further invest in talent, infrastructure and fan engagement initiatives.

This study makes a novel contribution to the existing literature by providing a comprehensive analysis of the intricate relationship between sporting performance, market value and the moderating roles of player transfers, fan engagement and coaching changes within the European football landscape. Moreover, the research offers unique insights into investor behavior and the factors influencing investment decisions, enriching our understanding of the complex dynamics driving the football market.