Source l'Equipe | subscriber exclusive | November 26, 2018
Transfer market, financial fair play, sale of clubs...
Financial issues are becoming increasingly important in soccer and with them the question of the value of players, often the main asset of clubs. But how is the value of players estimated? We put four evaluators to the test.
Ginkyo ratings, approved by Bercy
Since: January 2018
Where: Lyon
Who. Founded by Pierre Caillet, an entrepreneur from the university world, Ginkyo ratings aims to help clubs "value the invisible", in this case "the intangible asset" that their "player capital" represents. The initial observation is that the financial balance sheet of a club does not take into account the value of players coming from training. Similarly, it discounts purchased players as they are amortized over the duration of their contract, even though they often increase in value on the transfer market. It's not easy for clubs to "sell" themselves at the "right price" to their financial partners, banks and investors, explains Vincent Ponsot, deputy general manager of OL, the first club, along with Nice, to use Ginkyo ratings.
Vincent Ponsot (OL) : "It is essential to evaluate our players accurately".
Evaluation method: original since it combines a processing of the player's stats and his evaluation by experts inside and outside the club, all based on a history of 5000 transfers to determine a "fair value". The evaluators (coaches, former players, doctors...) are not only interested in the technical and physical capital of the player but also in his health (secured data), mental and relational capital. Important for an evaluation intended for financiers: it is "auditable", verifiable point by point.
Update: OL has decided to communicate the financial statements of its player capital on a semi-annual basis, as of January 31 and June 30.
The plus: Ginkyo Ratings is already carrying out "predictive" evaluations for the players of the OL training center. And in two or three years, after capitalizing on the data, it will be able to give them a fair financial value. In project, the evaluation of the OL women players.
The minus: mandated and paid by the clubs (the cost of the evaluation is confidential), Ginkyo ratings does not communicate any figures publicly. The OL has authorized it to tell us that Lucas Tousart was valued on June 30 at 33 M€ and Maxwel Cornet at 19.7 M€. At the same time, Transfermarkt valued the defensive midfielder at €5m and the Football Observatory at €39.9m. As for Cornet, Transfermarkt valued him at €15m and the Football Observatory at €12.9m.
