Research Article

Green Goals or Red Flags: A Case Study on the Economic Sustainability of the World's Greenest Football Club Using the Revised Altman Z-Score

Volume: 9 Number: 2026 March 27, 2026
TR EN

Green Goals or Red Flags: A Case Study on the Economic Sustainability of the World's Greenest Football Club Using the Revised Altman Z-Score

Abstract

Purpose: Forest Green Rovers FC is considered to be the world’s first vegan football club and is cited by FIFA as the world’s most sustainable football club. These features highlight the club’s unique place in social and environmental equity, but they also raise questions about its financial risk profile. This study aims to assess the economic sustainability and bankruptcy risk of Forest Green Rovers FC, which competes in the English National League.

Method: This study employs the revised Altman Z-score model as an early-warning tool to assess the financial sustainability and bankruptcy risk of Forest Green Rovers FC. The analysis is based on the most recent five fiscal years of longitudinal financial statements.

Results: Analysis of the results indicates significant financial deterioration from 2022 onwards, as reflected in worsening financial ratios, shrinking liquidity and profitability, negative equity, and growing operating losses. Despite strong environmental and corporate social sustainability practices, the club exhibits a persistently high‑distress Z‑score pattern, indicating sustained vulnerability to bankruptcy risk in the long term.

Conclusion: The findings demonstrate the need for a holistic sustainability and multidimensional value-creation approach in modern sports management, with financial risk management explicitly integrated with environmental and social objectives. The case also illustrates how cost-intensive green initiatives, when financed through concentrated ownership and fragile cash flows, can generate a “risk of green ambition” that threatens long‑term financial sustainability. This study is the first research that examines the financial sustainability of Forest Green Rovers FC using the revised Altman Z‑score model.

Keywords

Ethical Statement

This study does not involve human participants or personal data and, therefore, does not require ethical approval.

References

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  2. Ahmed, S., & Karlsson, K. (2023). Tillämpning av Altman Z score på fotbollsallsvenskan utifrån finansiell obestånd: En kvantitativ studie om hur allsvenska fotbollsklubbar har hanterat utmaningarna från covid-19 utifrån ett finansiellt perspektiv [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Södertörn University. https://sh.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1729447/FULLTEXT01.pdf
  3. Akenga, G. (2017). Effect of liquidity on financial performance of firms listed at the Nairobi Securities Exchange, Kenya. International Journal of Science and Research, 6(7), 279-285. https://doi.org/10.21275/ART20175036
  4. Alaminos, D., & Fernández, M. Á. (2019). Why do football clubs fail financially? A financial distress prediction model for European professional football industry. PLOS ONE, 14(12), e0225989. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0225989
  5. Alkhatib, K., & Al Bzour, A. E. (2011). Predicting corporate bankruptcy of Jordanian listed companies: Using Altman and Kida models. International Journal of Business and Management, 6(3), 208-215. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v6n3p208
  6. Altman, E. I. (1968). Financial ratios, discriminant analysis and the prediction of corporate bankruptcy. The Journal of Finance, 23(4), 589-609. https://doi.org/10.2307/2978933
  7. Altman, E. I. (1984). The success of business failure prediction models: An international survey. Journal of Banking and Finance, 8(2), 171-198. https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-4266(84)90003-7
  8. Altman, E. I. (1993). Corporate financial distress and bankruptcy (2nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Sports Activity Management

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

March 27, 2026

Submission Date

December 19, 2025

Acceptance Date

March 15, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 9 Number: 2026

APA
Çalışkan, K. (2026). Green Goals or Red Flags: A Case Study on the Economic Sustainability of the World’s Greenest Football Club Using the Revised Altman Z-Score. 9(2026), 138-163. https://izlik.org/JA34AR53JS
AMA
1.Çalışkan K. Green Goals or Red Flags: A Case Study on the Economic Sustainability of the World’s Greenest Football Club Using the Revised Altman Z-Score. 2026;9(2026):138-163. https://izlik.org/JA34AR53JS
Chicago
Çalışkan, Kadir. 2026. Green Goals or Red Flags: A Case Study on the Economic Sustainability of the World’s Greenest Football Club Using the Revised Altman Z-Score. 9 (2026): 138-63. https://izlik.org/JA34AR53JS.
EndNote
Çalışkan K (March 1, 2026) Green Goals or Red Flags: A Case Study on the Economic Sustainability of the World’s Greenest Football Club Using the Revised Altman Z-Score. 9 2026 138–163.
IEEE
[1]K. Çalışkan, “Green Goals or Red Flags: A Case Study on the Economic Sustainability of the World’s Greenest Football Club Using the Revised Altman Z-Score”, vol. 9, no. 2026, pp. 138–163, Mar. 2026, [Online]. Available: https://izlik.org/JA34AR53JS
ISNAD
Çalışkan, Kadir. “Green Goals or Red Flags: A Case Study on the Economic Sustainability of the World’s Greenest Football Club Using the Revised Altman Z-Score” 9/2026 (March 1, 2026): 138-163. https://izlik.org/JA34AR53JS.
JAMA
1.Çalışkan K. Green Goals or Red Flags: A Case Study on the Economic Sustainability of the World’s Greenest Football Club Using the Revised Altman Z-Score. 2026;9:138–163.
MLA
Çalışkan, Kadir. Green Goals or Red Flags: A Case Study on the Economic Sustainability of the World’s Greenest Football Club Using the Revised Altman Z-Score. no. 2026, Mar. 2026, pp. 138-63, https://izlik.org/JA34AR53JS.
Vancouver
1.Kadir Çalışkan. Green Goals or Red Flags: A Case Study on the Economic Sustainability of the World’s Greenest Football Club Using the Revised Altman Z-Score [Internet]. Vols. 9. 2026 Mar. 1;9(2026):138-63. Available from: https://izlik.org/JA34AR53JS

For the articles to be published in 2026 in the ÇOMÜ Journal of Sports Sciences, an international, peer-reviewed journal covering studies in the field of Sports Sciences, original research and review articles written in English within the scope of the journal will be accepted.

In this context, manuscripts for the 2026 publication period may be submitted until the end of November 2026.

Kind regards,

Editor
Prof. Dr. Hürmüz KOÇ