Football and Management - by S Soderman (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

What happens off the football pitch? This volume mixes storytelling with theoretical and conceptual reasoning to analyse marketing, product, product development and management, as well as (in football terms), the atmosphere, match, training and club management.

Review Quotes

'Football clubs are among the most high profile organizations in the world, with large numbers of fans and significant brand value. Yet clubs can often be poorly run, sometimes characterized by antiquated business practices and poor financial performance. Clubs

therefore have a lot to tell managers in other industries about visibility, engagement and passion in business. At the same time, managers in other industries have plenty to tell football about good management practice. Sitting at the nexus of the two, Söderman's book provides valuable insights into both management in football and its lessons for other industries . . . This is an excellent resource: timely, incisive and illuminating a 'must read' for anyone with an interest in football, management and business.'

Simon Chadwick, Professor, Coventry University Business School, England, UK

'If you ask seasoned business leaders what they consider the single most important factor for success, very many will answer: be sure to pick the right team. And if you ask them for the most common reason for failure in strategic management, most of them would probably answer: good plan, but poor implementation. If you read this book, you will realize that the same applies to football and why!'

Berndt Karsten, Partner, Management Alignment Partners AG, Finland

'Football the world's largest sport has evolved over the last thirty years to become professionally managed creating emotion andloyalty among its fans. What can football learn from big business and vice versa? Sten Söderman's book provides a conceptual

approach to the management of the club, fans, players, preparation for the game, study of opponents and how you market football, and then compares it to the business world where similar factors need to be studied . . . It is the club and the company that can develop the right strategy, bring together the best talents and have them work together as a team and execute the plan that will win. It is a good learning experience for any top executive to understand how success is built by a football team and how similar it is to achievements in the business world.'

Finn Johnsson, Former Chairman, Volvo AB, Sweden

About the Author

Sten Söderman is Professor in the School of Business at Stockholm University, Sweden. He frequently contributes to research on scientific development in the fields of international business, sports management, entrepreneurship and innovation.