68

Adored by spectators, the glorious uncertainty of sport is proving to be problematic for the development of the city brand. How can the local authorities implement a territorial marketing strategy based on the presence of a professional club if it can quickly be relegated to a lower division? How can they be sure that the infrastructure built today will always have a high-level club tomorrow? This article looks at the five main French first division leagues over the 2014/2015–2018/2019 period. The relation between catchment area, budget, and sporting results of the clubs is analyzed to highlight mobility barriers protecting/excluding access to certain levels of competition. These stylized facts allow local authorities to measure the risk of sporting hazard affecting the club’s access to some levels of competition, beyond the short-term shocks inherent to the activity. © 2022 IDMP/Lavoisier SAS. All rights reserved