Page 7 - Short Cases 1 Borussia Dortmund Bombing Plot Teaching Note

coach was still fired. Finance would appear to trump
humanity?

Q3 Are football players simply assets on the Balance

Sheet?

Q3 If you are a bean counter then the answer is yes. If

on the other hand players are seen as human

resources that need to be nurtured and developed

then not taking account of the emotional effects of a

bombing is undoubtedly, detrimental to long-term

effectiveness and performance.

Football is a business and as such is subject to, as in this

case, disruptions to their financial position by attacks

on their share price.

The attack was simply an attempt to damage their

prime assets – the footballers. If they can’t win games

they lose support and revenue and as a consequence

investment/share-price falls.

If you bet on the fall happening and it does, then you

make money.

Wenergold’s recourse to ‘shorting’ came back to haunt

him in the form of a fourteen-year jail sentence for

attempted murder. It does however point to the

vulnerability of all businesses to changes in the

environment.