Advancing our understanding of the EU sports policy: the socio-cultural model of sports regulation and players’ agents

ABSTRACT

This paper explains the development of the socio-cultural dimension of the European Union (EU) sports policy over the course of the decade from 2005 to 2015. By adopting the theoretical lenses of the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF), the paper firstly offers a novel perspective on the belief systems of the members of the socio-cultural advocacy coalition that operates within the EU sports policy subsystem. A set of empirical policy core beliefs of the coalition actors reflecting their concerns regarding sport’s integrity and economic welfare that affect its healthy development is presented and explained as the basic causes of the policy problem, i.e. threats that undermine sport’s specific characteristics. In this light, the paper then illustrates that the coalition members have perceived the issue of players’ agents, in particular problems in the activities of agents in European football, to be detrimental to the integrity of sport. As a result, the issue has been the subject of considerable policy activity by the coalition actors with a view to establishing an alternative regulatory framework to effectively govern players’ agents. Consequently, the paper elucidates the evolving nature of the socio-cultural model of sports regulation that not only promotes the social role of sport in Europe but now also addresses the problems that affect its well-being and clear image. The paper’s principal method of investigation is based on the content analysis of official policy documents and statements of the coalition actors.

KEYWORDS:

• Intermediaries
• integrity of sport
• the advocacy coalition framework
• the socio-cultural advocacy coalition
• EU sports policy
• specificity of sport

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

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Notes on contributors

Serhat Yilmaz

Dr Serhat Yilmaz is a Lecturer in Sports Law in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences (SSEHS) at Loughborough University. He specialises on contemporary legal issues in the field of football, particularly in relation to the regulation of intermediaries (previously known as players’ agents) and the protection of minors. His policyrelated research focuses on the development of the EU sports policy. In addition to his academic activities, Serhat has engaged in research and consultancy projects for various organisations.