Sport Management Studies

Identifying Threatening Factors for Team Identity of Football Fans (Case Study: the Esteghlal Football Club)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Ph.D student of Sport Management, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran

2 Professor of Sport Management, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran

3 Assistant Professor of Sport Management, Department of Sports Management, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA

Abstract
the present study was conducted with the aim of identifying threatening factors for team identity of the football fans. The method of the present research is qualitative in the form of content analysis and the statistical population of the present study were the fans of Esteghlal football team who followed the Instagram page of this team. The sampling method was purposeful and in-depth interviews were conducted with 28 samples up to theoretical saturation. Coding technique and NVivo software were used to analyze the data. The results of the research indicate that the factors and conditions threatening the team identity of Esteghlal team fans in two main themes are organizational factors with 7 sub-theme; Inefficient changes, poor performance in the transfer market, weak management in relation to the technical staff, weak meritocracy in club management, weak management in economic activities, poor athletic performance of the team and unsuitable sponsor) and human factors with 5 sub-theme; The unprofessional behavior of the players, the unprofessional behavior of the technical staff and disregard for the position of the fans, poor communication and interaction of the management and the unprofessional behavior of the veterans) are categorized. The results of this research have provided important applications in both theoretical and practical parts. In the same manner, it is the first study on the threat of the team identity of fans and has helped to bridge part of the huge gap in this field in domestic and foreign research.

Keywords

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Sport Management Studies
Volume 16, Issue 83
March and April 2024
Pages 51-82

  • Receive Date 06 November 2021
  • Revise Date 15 February 2022
  • Accept Date 05 March 2022

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