European football must rethink its model

European football is faced with a crucial challenge: continue to chase immediate success at any cost or rethink its model to ensure a lasting future? On the one hand, clubs chase investment and sporting results, often ignoring the economic, social and environmental implications of an unsustainable model. On the other, sustainability, both environmental and social, is emerging as a key strategic lever to transform and strengthen the industry, to make it more robust and innovative.

The concept of 'dual materiality' offers an important key to understanding sustainability in football. It consists of two dimensions: 'impact materiality', i.e. the effects of a club's activities on the environment and society; and 'financial materiality', i.e. the consequences, in terms of risks and opportunities, of environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues on the club's economic performance. Addressing sustainability in football does not mean adding a few image-enhancing charity initiatives. Rather, it means strategically managing three fundamental dimensions: impacts, risks and opportunities.

Football clubs produce significant impacts on the planet and society. Their environmental footprint results from CO₂ emissions related to team and fan travel, water and energy consumption for stadiums, and waste generation at major events. However, the management of these impacts cannot be reduced to individual compensation initiatives. Structural solutions are needed: from the development of sustainable and renewable energy infrastructure, to circular economy models for the management of merchandising and event materials, to sustainable mobility. In parallel, football has a huge social weight: it generates employment and has the power to inspire millions of people. Integration, equity, health and well-being should not just be slogans, but an integral part of club strategies. Concrete initiatives such as the redevelopment of sports facilities to improve their accessibility, support and visibility programmes for women's football, scholarships for disadvantaged young athletes and partnerships for the integration of migrants are examples of how football can become an engine for social change.

Managing sustainability also means addressing ESG risks and seizing new business opportunities, protecting not only the environment and people, but also the economic value and reputation of a club. Standards and regulations are increasingly stringent: reduction of emissions and waste, responsible supply chain management, protection of human rights. Those who do not comply risk economic sanctions and operational restrictions. At the same time, sustainability opens up new directions for growth. The adoption of green strategies improves operational efficiency and costs in the long term and, at the same time, strengthens the club's attractiveness to ESG-conscious sponsors and partners, representing a lever for revenue diversification. Environmental and social responsibility initiatives consolidate ties with local communities and fans, increasing engagement and creating new monetisation opportunities, linked to brand enhancement also on an international scale. A club that ends up at the centre of controversy for ESG violations risks losing strategic partnerships and financial resources, while sponsors and investors reward those who demonstrate transparency and concrete initiatives. Last but not least, proactively managing sustainability also means strengthening club governance. This involves investing in internal capacity building and ensuring that sustainability is an integral part of strategic decisions. In addition to defining and communicating clear policies, it is essential to set and publish concrete targets, translate them into measurable actions, monitor and report on them through specific KPIs, and assign precise responsibilities to each target.

Ultimately, in football as in other sectors, sustainability is first and foremost a question of innovation. It is about developing a vision that goes beyond the short term and contingent political and regulatory dynamics to invest in long-term value generation capabilities.