Sport Management Studies

The Consequences of Selecting Elite Athletes as the President of Iran Football Federation

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

ali habibi 1
Sara Keshkar 2
gholamreza shabani bahar 3

1 M.A. Msc, in Sport management. Faculty of Physical education and sport sciences. Allameh Tabataba’i university, Tehran, Iran

2 Associate professor of Sport management. Faculty of Physical education and sport sciences. Allameh Tabataba’i university, Tehran, Iran

3 Professor of Sport management. Faculty of Physical education and sport sciences. Allameh Tabataba’i university, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22089/smrj.2024.14631.3860
Abstract
Extended Abstract
Background and Purpose
Sports federations, as the principal legal entities governing sports, operate according to the Olympic Charter and must respect Islamic and national regulations, especially in Islamic countries such as Iran. The football federation holds particular responsibility for organizing championship events and engaging with the public. Consequently, experienced managers equipped with comprehensive knowledge and strong managerial skills are critical to the organization’s success. With the growing popularity of football, training specialized managers for this sport has become increasingly important. Globally, managerial positions are often filled by individuals with long-standing involvement in football, whether as players or coaches .This trend explains why many elite athletes in Iran aspire to leadership roles within national sports federations.
The present research aimed to address the question: what characteristics should elite football athletes and pioneers possess to effectively assume leadership of the country’s football federation? Specifically, the study sought to determine whether experience and familiarity with football alone sufficiently qualify them for such executive positions.
 
Methods
A qualitative methodology employing content analysis was used. The research population consisted of all news reports and documents portraying the characteristics of football federation presidents in Iran and worldwide (N=44). Sampling was conducted as a full census, including all historical documents relevant to football federation presidents from the federation’s inception to the present (N=27).
Data collection instruments included indexing cards and coding lists, constructed according to qualitative content analysis principles. The collected data were then quantitatively analyzed by converting thematic constructs and codes into numerical values. Reliability was assessed using Cohen’s kappa coefficient, yielding a high inter-coder agreement of 0.857. Thematic analysis, in accordance with Wolcott’s framework, was utilized for data interpretation.
Results
The analysis revealed four major themes shaping the consequences of selecting elite athletes as football federation presidents: improving economic conditions, enhancing laws and regulations, increasing knowledge and awareness, and elevating sports quality.
Economic improvements involved actions such as attracting sponsors, securing advertising contracts, and achieving championship victories. Legal enhancement required drafting new regulations and restructuring football competition systems. Heightening knowledge and awareness encompassed expanding sports media coverage—including the publication of football-related literature—and providing training for coaches, referees, athletes, and managers.
Enhancement of sports quality comprised two subthemes: upgrading sports facilities (through acquisition, renovation, and leasing of venues) and improving athletic performance (via increased international participation, elevated competition standards, team preparation, and recruitment of foreign coaches). Documentary findings on organizational development additionally highlighted the promotion of women’s football, improvement of competition quality, and advancement of football education. Management of sports relationships focused on improving economic conditions, upholding ethical standards, and fostering international communications. Broader efforts to raise sports quality further included reforming laws and regulations and boosting performance levels (see Figure 1). Among the documents reviewed, web pages constituted the majority (74%) of sources in the “History” section, while reports were predominant (57%) in sections discussing presidents selected for the football federation.                                                                                                                                                
Conclusion
Given the significance of appointing the president of Iran’s Football Federation, this study advocates for comparative research between football-specialized and non-football managers within the federation, and analysis of the electoral processes for presidential appointments in the Islamic Republic of Iran. It also recommends examining factors that influence the selection process and undertaking positive initiatives such as fostering international cooperation, promoting ethical interests (notably combating corruption), conducting quality leadership training, and advancing women’s football and their involvement in management roles.
Limitations included restricted access resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, scarcity of resources and background research on this topic, and a general paucity of studies focused on elite athlete selection for leadership positions. Nonetheless, the research outcomes provide valuable insights for policy makers and offer a strategic foundation for selecting presidential candidates and managing leadership appointments.
Keywords: Elite Athletes, Federation President, International Communication, Football Development
 
Article Message
the research results show that improving the organization of football, enhancing sports relationship management, and increasing the quality of this sport require actions such as strengthening international communications, combating corruption, specialized training, developing women's football, and revising the federation's statutes. Utilizing the research findings can play an effective role in policymaking and strategic planning for selecting managers and presidential candidates of the federation.
Ethical Considerations
This research was conducted with full adherence to ethical principles, including honesty in data collection and reporting, transparency of methods, respect for participants' privacy and rights, impartiality, and accountability. All sources have been accurately and fully cited ([IR.ATU.REC.1404.123]).
Conflict of Interest
According to the authors, this article has no conflicts of interest.
 
Acknowledgments
The authors express their sincere thanks to all individuals who assisted in conducting this research
 

Keywords

Elite athlete
head of the federation
international communication
football development

Main Subjects

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Sport Management Studies
Volume 17, Issue 89
September and October 2025
Pages 37-62

  • Receive Date 16 May 2023
  • Revise Date 22 August 2023
  • Accept Date 22 January 2024

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