Football is a worldwide industry. Deloitte has estimated that the European football market in 2018 was worth Euro 25.5 billion (£21.9 billion), driven by the ‘big five’ leagues – England, Spain, Germany, Italy, and France. Beyond Europe, football is a global sport and business with 211 national associations affiliated to FIFA – the world governing body, known also as ‘the United Nations of Football’.
But, to adapt an old cliche, football is more than a game, and it is more than a business. Football is rooted in the communities which sustain it, and it is attached to values which represent its importance in and to those communities.
In Europe, a number of documents – the Helsinki Declaration (2000), the European Model of Sport (2000) and the European Sports Charter (2001) – all established the idea that sport was of social value, while the European Commission White Paper on Sport (2007) has called for using the potential of sport for social inclusion, integration and equal opportunities.
Football foundations have developed projects to prevent and deal with a wide range of social and community causes, from bullying and violent behaviours in schools, to integrating refugees and embracing diversity in local communities. Football clubs also promote values and ideals which they require their players to live up to – personal values such as humility, ambition, effort, teamwork, trust, honesty; and social values such as tolerance, inclusion, equality, diversity, community cohesion and peacebuilding.
In previous blogs, we have presented individual footballers who have distinguished themselves not only by their achievements on the pitch, but just as importantly by their personalities and values, and the social values they espouse. We have also highlighted the connection between football (both as a game and a business) and global frameworks for positive peacebuilding. Make sure to check them out!
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