Competition and Cooperation in European Professional Club Football

The aim of the article is to highlight the theoretical assumption that the relative competitive disadvantage between markets with different maximum sizes can be partially counteracted with strategic thinking and business-like operations. The research question presented in this article is whether there are any management tools available for clubs which they can use to improve their business competitiveness above and beyond the limitations of their maximum market size. According to the research hypothesis, there is such a tool available for clubs: the management and operation of a football club in a well-organized and business-like manner. The method of analysis is the so-called Grounded Theory (Glaser, & Strauss, 1967; Locke, 2001), which is an abstract analytical schema with a systematic data analysis process. The data collection incorporates desk research, comparative analysis, organizational review, and in-depth interviews. The results are presented according to the following dimensions: a) relevance of the research question; b) specification of groups of relevant management tools; c) the role of the national football association in the process of market development; d) the role of the owners in this process; and e) how the structure of the sector and its operating processes can guarantee the efficient utilization of all the material resources which have been plowed into the sector over the last four to five years. According to the conclusions, the creation of an operating system and club model that allows for the utilization of resources - maximized market revenues and governmental sources - in the most effective way is an unavoidable challenge. The formation of the sustainable operations of clubs is fundamentally influenced by club owners. An inspection of the interaction between club owners, head coaches, and players is a key task in the process of creating a new club model.