How football club management has changed due to COVID-19

Avatar

The COVID-19 pandemic has created several difficulties that football clubs must deal with in order to continue to operate during this time.

The many complexities of a football club make it difficult enough to manage in normal circumstances.

Smaller or lower division clubs will be aiming to survive the pandemic while the bigger clubs will be looking for ways to continue to prosper.

In April, Football Federation Australia (FFA) CEO James Johnson was unable to guarantee the survival of all A-League clubs.

“Do I think that all the clubs will make it through? I think that’s too early to say at the moment,” he said.

While the A-League season did go ahead making it more likely that all clubs will survive, the pandemic and a reduced broadcasting deal present a significant financial problem for clubs.

Football League chairman Rick Parry made similar statements in June regarding League One and Two clubs who are unsure of playing without crowds due to the decreased revenue.

“The aim is to make sure all the clubs survive, and we will be working 24 hours a day to make sure they do,” he said.

“We can’t give guarantees. Who knows whether we have seen the end of this crisis or whether there is going to be a second spike. But our aim, our avowed aim, and we will be giving it our very best shot, is to make sure the EFL comes through this stronger than we are at the moment.”

With no end date to the pandemic in sight, there are several areas in which football clubs will have to change or adapt to going forward.

Sponsorship

The football industry is not the only industry feeling the impacts of COVID-19. Current and potential sponsors for football clubs are likely to be facing financial hardship too.

Southampton are reportedly set to lose club sponsor LD Sports. The deal with LD Sports is worth £7.5million a year.

Managing Director of League Two team Oldham Athletic Natalie Atkinson told fcbusiness that the football club’s commercial income will now be completely different.

“We have to be more creative about what our matchday sponsorship looks like, our LED, our short and shirt and stadium sponsorship looks like because if we play behind closed doors they’re not going to get that fan exposure,” she said.

Although it is not all bad news for football clubs, last week Leeds United signed its largest ever commercial deal with sports betting company SBOTOP.

Fan Engagement

The main way that fans support their football team is by attendance at matches. With it being either not possible or only going ahead in limited numbers, clubs have to find other ways to engage with their supporters.

Manchester United has been providing fans with activity worksheets and video challenges via the club’s website.

TV and Broadcast Deals

COVID-19 has also created problems for football leagues. Due to lockdowns and games being unable to be played, revenue from broadcasting deals has been cut.

In America the MLS took the approach of playing a tournament titled ‘MLS is Back’ before its regular season restarts.

These extra games will be a way of making back some of that lost revenue money.

The MLS also took the opportunity of not having fans to instead install extra cameras and a big screen to display extra visuals and statistics to TV viewers.

“How we can look at really leaning into audio and all of the sounds that we wouldn’t get the benefit of hearing because of the crowd,” ESPN VP of production Amy Rosenfeld said.

“Our approach has been taking the negative of not having fans, which is such an intrinsic part of soccer, but then creating an authentic, immersive experience for the audience as if they were there and really giving them access to dialogue that we would never get access to.”

While COVID-19 has had many negative consequences, football can and does need to make the most of its opportunities to continue to remain strong after the pandemic.

Previous ArticleNext Article

Referees to improve consistency with new UEFA guidelines

Avatar
Image credit: UEFA

In a meeting between Chief Refereeing Officers within UEFA and its 55 national associations, enhancing consistency and clarity underpinned the principle goals for the upcoming season.

Improving officiating

Referees – and particularly the usage of VAR – are often at the centre of post-match debates.

As the introduction of new technology into match officiating increases year-on-year, referees are in the spotlight more than ever before. The expectation was that more technology would decrease errors and controversy, but the opposite has proven to be the case.

Which is why the agreement and alignment between European nations marks a key step in the future of match officiating; the meeting between UEFA, its national associations and a representative of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) displays intention and commitment to ensuring future in-game decisions are clear, not controversial.

Meeting chair and UEFA Director for Refereeing, Roberto Rosetti, outlined why the agreement will have a vital impact on the future of European football, both domestically and internationally.

“The fact that all 55 national associations and UEFA have agreed on guidelines towards a more consistent approach to the application of the Laws of the Game marks a significant milestone,” Rosetti said.

“It will help improve the understanding of refereeing decisions among players, clubs and supporters and all stakeholders in the game.”

“For the popularity of football it is essential to remove all doubt from the game and ensure that the laws are applied with clarity.”

 

Limiting technology use

A widespread criticism of match officiating in recent years is the regularity with which VAR intervenes and interrupts match tempo.

The issue, however, is not that VAR can review decisions – in fact, this summer’s FIFA World Cup displayed an effective use of VAR during a case of mistaken identity, in which a player received a yellow card offence for a foul committed by an opposition player. In this regard, VAR was a vital part of ensuring a simulation offence did not go unpunished.

Frustration, however, grows when the use of VAR goes beyond checking “clear and obvious” errors. Lengthy replays, a multitude of angle-checking clips and the disruption of game flow all contribute to feelings of frustration among fans.

But recent amdendments aim to limit this in the upcoming season. VAR is an essential part of fair officiating, but responsibility must lie with the referee.

The new rules introduced by the IFAB are available here, with further initiatives to follow from UEFA in the coming weeks.

World Cup ‘Not For Sale’: Confederations unite against Infantino’s private investment plan

Avatar
Image Credits: Associated Press

The global backlash to FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s proposal to sell a minority stake in a new commercial entity overseeing the FIFA World Cup and other major global competitions has continued to intensify. Two of the most powerful confederations have now taken a stand against Infantino’s plan.

UEFA and CONCACAF, in separate statements released today, spoke on behalf of Europe and North America, totalling 96 FIFA member associations. They rejected the proposal, citing serious concerns over governance, transparency and the long-term future of the world’s biggest sporting events.

UEFA’s message left little room for interpretation and has now taken action, boycotting FIFA tournaments.

“The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product,” Europe’s governing body said in its statement.

“The World Cup is not for sale.

UEFA has decided European nations will not participate in any FIFA tournaments if the proposal goes ahead. This includes next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 2030 World Cup, of which Spain and Portugal are amongst the hosts.

CONCACAF echoed many of those concerns following meetings involving its member associations. They highlighted what it described as a lack of due process surrounding the proposal.

The confederation questioned the compressed decision-making timeline and the absence of review by FIFA’s governance bodies. The governing body of North America didn’t see the need to seek private equity investment following what has been described as the most profitable FIFA World Cup in history.

Rather than endorsing the proposal, Concacaf instructed its FIFA Council members to engage with FIFA on alternative solutions. These included using FIFA’s existing financial reserves to increase investment in football development across the region.

Growing resistance

Infantino’s proposal would establish a new commercial company, reported to be valued at around AUD $29 billion (USD $20 billion). FIFA seeks to sell up to a 20% stake to outside investors while retaining sporting control. FIFA argues the move would unlock billions in additional development funding for its member associations.

However, critics argue the process has moved forward with insufficient consultation and risks fundamentally changing the priorities of world football.

FIFA and Infantino only need a majority of 106 member states for this proposal to pass. However, with UEFA refusing to play in tournaments and considering other confederations that may choose similar action, the proposal hangs in the balance.

The opposition is no longer confined to Europe and North America. Both Asia’s AFC and South America’s CONMEBOL have signalled their displeasure, having not been consulted on the proposal.

A defining moment for FIFA

With several of football’s most influential confederations now publicly opposing the proposal, Infantino faces one of the biggest governance challenges of his presidency.

While FIFA maintains that sporting decisions would remain under its control, UEFA and CONCACAF have made it clear that football’s most iconic competition should remain a public sporting asset rather than an investment vehicle.

As negotiations continue, it is yet to be seen who else may take a stand against Infantino, but without any European nations partaking in global tournaments, FIFA’s grand plan has taken a major blow.

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks

Send this to a friend