Globalization of Sports - The Case of Professional Football and its International Management Challenges

The formation and the diversity of most types of organizations going international are well researched. However, some aspects of postmodern life, such as sports and entertainment, are presently growing in importance and management complexity. Team sports, and especially football, are capturing more and more of the minds of people in the developed world. Many great football clubs are successful on the pitch but show sizable economic deficits. A global strategy with a strong focus on Asia seems to be the new recipe of the top clubs. Our stated conclusion is a need for a practical theory of professional sports going global. Existing concepts appear unsuitable, and a new theoretical approach is therefore the basis for our construct to develop the general principles of the football business and its international dimensions. Finally, four elements are described and explained, necessary for sustainable internationalization of the football business.