A Research Agenda for Strategic Collaboration in European Club Football

Abstract

There has been a recent growth in the number of collaborative relationships forged between football clubs and other businesses. Some examples include the player exchange deal between Saint Etienne and Arsenal, and the strategic alliance between Leeds United and BSkyB. There are a number of reasons for this growth including pressure to achieve financial returns, inflation in the player transfer market and the growing influence of media groups. Clubs are therefore having to think strategically about their long-term positions, and about how to secure a competitive advantage over their rivals.