Alex Ayin’s Post

🔊 Brands, Investors and Women's Football Community 🇨🇦 Canada is about to launch its new women's football professional league full of passion and dedication to grow the game. ⭐ There is a great opportunity to join the league or the different teams that are being built from scratch and support them to create the women's football we want to see in the future. 💚 Brands have a huge impact not only on the financial situation of the clubs or leagues, but also on how they choose to co-create those activations for the players, the fans, the next generations and the rest of the ecosystem. 🚀 Any brand can become a partner. Whether it's HUGE, big, small or startup, become part of the change in a positive and sustainable way! Northern Super League #football #womensfootball #canada #invest #brands #marketing #sponsorship #sustainability #canada

What a weekend of sport and congratulations to Manchester United on their FA Cup win! We help some of the largest organisations in the world unlock human potential, so we’re always fascinated by high-performing teams, how they’re built and what they achieve. Here’s a link to some recent research in Harvard Business Review on how to build your own high performing team: https://lnkd.in/eExhCpsw. There are 3 key elements that stood out to us in the article: ‘Prosocial’ purpose – team members being clear on how their work helps others; using stories about their impact will help stimulate their brains and drive higher performance. In professional football, we see this impact across the grass-roots and community game; in organisations, this may mean developing less experienced team members, or focusing on customer impact. Common understanding – everyone being clear about who specialises in what, and how to get the best from each person. This is usually very clear across the spectrum of professional sports teams; the same applies to high performing teams in organisations. Psychological safety – building team members’ ability to trust each other and to take risks. A key element in sport and in business, it provides the platform for innovation and building competitive advantage. Let us know what you think in the comments below! 👇

The Rise of Multi-Club Ownership in Football There’s a growing trend in football: multi-club ownership (MCO). Until recently, all eyes were on City Football Group as they expanded their global football empire. But what exactly is MCO? What is Multi-Club Ownership? It’s a system where one individual or company owns multiple football clubs. Currently, there are over 300 clubs and 6,500 players operating within MCO systems. How does it work? Clubs are organized into categories: feeder clubs and iceberg clubs. Feeder clubs develop players and send talent to higher-tier iceberg clubs. Iceberg clubs, in turn, send players needing experience back to feeder clubs for development. While MCO can bring competitive advantages, it also comes with significant challenges. Advantages of MCO: 1️⃣ Player Development: Faster growth for young players via structured game time and tailored development paths. 2️⃣ Financial Synergies: Shared resources and cost reduction across scouting, coaching, and operations. 3️⃣ Brand Expansion: Global exposure and brand identity across multiple markets. 4️⃣ Knowledge Sharing: Clubs benefit from mutual expertise in strategy, technology, and management. 5️⃣ Strategic Flexibility: Avoid local financial regulations and diversify risk. 6️⃣ Market Access: Entry into emerging football markets while exporting talent to top leagues. Challenges of MCO: Conflicts of Interest: Issues arise when two clubs meet in major competitions. Loss of Identity: Smaller clubs risk being seen as mere subsidiaries, alienating local fans. Financial Dependency: Struggles in one club can ripple through the entire network. Legal and Regulatory Risks: Differing national laws make operations complex. Community Disconnect: Distant decision-making may ignore local needs and culture. Major MCO Players Here are some of the biggest entities leading the MCO trend: City Football Group: Manchester City, New York City FC, Girona, and more. Red Bull: RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg, New York Red Bulls. 777 Partners: Everton, Genoa, Standard Liège. Eagle Football Holdings: Lyon, Botafogo, Crystal Palace. INEOS: Nice, Lausanne, Racing Abidjan. As MCO reshapes the football landscape, the question remains: Is this the future of football, or will it lead to more challenges than solutions? What do you think about MCO? #football #footballmarketing #footballbusiness #footballsponsorship #sponsorship #footballcommercial #footballmanagement

Leeds United have announced that Red Bull have taken a minority ownership stake in the club as well as taking over as their front-of-shirt sponsor. City Football Group and Red Bull have created groups of football clubs that "work together" under one roof. These models offer various benefits, including: 💡Transfer of Know-How: Expertise and best practices are shared across all clubs, enhancing overall performance and operational efficiency. 🏃♂️Player Development: Young talents have access to top-notch facilities and coaching, ensuring consistent development pathways. 🤝Player Transfer Through the Levels: Players can move seamlessly between clubs within the group, allowing for strategic placement based on their development needs and the requirements of each club. However, these models can also present drawbacks, such as: ❓Question of Hierarchy: There may be ambiguities about the pecking order among the clubs, leading to potential conflicts and misunderstandings. ⚖️Less Authority for Lower Clubs: Clubs lower in the hierarchy might have reduced decision-making power, impacting their autonomy and strategic direction. ✒️Pre-Planned Career Path of Players: Players could find their careers overly managed, limiting their freedom to make independent moves. 💰Reduced Transfer Profits for Lower Clubs: Financial gains from player transfers may be minimized as players are often moved to higher-ranked clubs within the group, affecting the revenue of lower-tier clubs. In conclusion, the emerging trend of football clubs adopting business models akin to City Football Group and Red Bull indicates a significant shift in the future of football club management. Red Bull, despite its global presence in football, has yet to establish a foothold in the Premier League. The acquisition of a minority share in Leeds United, coupled with their role as the front-of-shirt sponsor, might be the initial step towards achieving this ambition. #football #business

Building Successful Sports Brands: Lessons from Chelsea Football Club Since Clearlake Capital's takeover of Chelsea FC, the club has invested heavily in young talent, sparking excitement among fans. However, despite high expectations, immediate success has eluded the team. This highlights the risks of building sports brands, where investment doesn't guarantee success. To build a resilient brand, strategy must be adaptable to team performance. When success arrives, all aspects of the brand must align: PR, communication, events, sales, sponsorships, and key touchpoints. This maximizes the moment of achievement for all stakeholders. But success is never guaranteed. Provision for failure must be planned, strategizing brand recognition beyond team performance. Chelsea FC's experience serves as a valuable lesson in the complexities of building a successful sports brand. #SportsBranding #ChelseaFC #SuccessInSports #Nike #InfinateAthlete Written by: Abe Willliams

📐𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐬. Objectivity does not exist because each person has a certain level of knowledge and a way of thinking. Not even an algorithm is objective, because a human being has taught it certain aspects. ❗The so-called "objectivity" in football has various facets. It is a synonym for generalisation, simplification, football ignorance, rudimentary ideas, shifting responsibility, lack of opinion and covering up one's own weaknesses. The judgement concerns, among others, the three most important areas. 1️⃣ 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 Clubs are heavily infected by the phenomenon of "objectivity". Vague ideas about Club development, football considerations in a general form, lack of substantive fundaments, rudimentary strategy, simplified ways of managing, ceding responsibility to a member of staff without any guidelines. 2️⃣ 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 The development of Specialists in football also follows the trend of "objectivity". The more general, simple, undetailed, solutionless and opinionless the programme and all its contents are prepared, the more it can be sold as "valuable impulses in an open minded world". 3️⃣ 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 & 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬 Coaches base teams' play on group or individual actions instead of team actions. Only general guidelines are provided, only first fragments of action are prepared, no thought is given to interlocking mechanisms for complete sequences of on-pitch actions, and team tactics are treated as an adjunct to the individual skills and decisions of the players. The "objectivity" results in chaos. 💡FDI is strictly subjective. We base every action on two foundations: 🔷 "𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐃𝐈" 🔷 "𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐃𝐈" Thanks to our own identity, we can compare every aspect with our own intellectual basis, which enables concrete opinions and in-depth evaluations. Moreover, "Football Identity of FDI" guarantees a stable football intellectual project principle. "Club Development Model of FDI" allows us to implement a complex and coherent concept for the development of the Club, consisting of a model vision, as well as a multitude of definitions, concepts, models, processes and mechanisms. We are experts in this field. 💬 Marcin Gabor: - 85-90% of Clubs do not have a specific development model, or at least their own identity. And they will not be helped to change this situation by their current Employees or some consulting companies, because they too think and act "objectively". And anyone who has never had to deal with the work on a Club development model does not know how many intellectual resources, how much effort and how much time this process costs. A process that is the first step in the development of the Club.

Post 6 - Pivotal Events in Sports, Media, and Entertainment in 2024 Manchester United Ownership Saga Resolution In 2024, Manchester United’s long-anticipated ownership change marked a significant moment in football’s financial landscape. The club’s sale, valued at £6 billion, set a new benchmark for football club valuations, reflecting the enduring global appeal and commercial power of iconic sports brands. The transaction highlighted key trends shaping the industry: Rising Club Valuations: Manchester United’s record-breaking valuation underlines the growing influence of global fan bases, commercial partnerships, and media rights in determining a club’s worth. Investment Appeal: Football clubs continue to attract interest from diverse investors, including institutional investors seeking to capitalise on the sport’s expanding global footprint. This milestone demonstrates how football remains at the forefront of sports business innovation, with clubs increasingly operating as global brands. What does this mean for the future of football ownership and investment? #FootballBusiness #ManchesterUnited #SportsInvestments #ClubValuations #GlobalSports #BerkidaVentures Photo by STEVE CHAI on Pexels

The NFL London games are a global triumph. Why? Because of their strategic and impactful matchups, the immersion of their fan experience, their investment in future generations, and their marketing exposure across social platforms. When the NFL ventured into London in 2007, it was no doubt an ambitious leap into the unknown. However, today, its extraordinary success provides American football's appeal far beyond the U.S. Sellout crowds exceed 80,000 per game, showcasing an insatiable demand, while the games offer a unique fan experience as supporters of all 32 teams converge to create a vibrant atmosphere. The NFL's strategic emphasis on hosting regular-season games, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars' annual commitment, has fueled a strong local following. Media exposure has grown at a high rate with TV ratings soaring and localized content engaging UK fans deeply. In addition, world-class venues and citywide football festivities have embedded the games into London's cultural landscape. With notable economic benefits and community efforts like the NFL Academy fostering local talent, the groundwork has been laid for a potential London franchise and broader European expansion. As the NFL continues to expand its international future with the success of the London Games, I am excited to watch this organization grow beyond its borders. Esquire Group Inc. https://lnkd.in/eb2jZHA5.

Football, often described as "the beautiful game", is founded upon the principles of fairness, Competition and development. However, the sport's landscape is experiencing a shift as a growing number of both investors and organizations embrace the "Multi-club ownership" system- the practice of owning stakes in more than one football clubs. While it can be argued that the MCO creates opportunities for sharing of resources, development of talents and at large global brand expansion, it raises concerns about the potential to compromise the integrity of the sport thereby creating conflicts of interest and influencing competitive balance. These perspectives highlight the complexities which surrounds this ownership model. This article examines the intricacies of the multi-club ownership model, analyzing its effects on the fundamental values of the Sport while highlighting the opportunities it offers and the challenges it poses, thereby providing an insight into what the MCO model signifies for the future of the sport.

📈 The Rise of Multi-Club Ownership: Transformational Change ⚽ 🏈 🏉 Multi-club ownership (MCO) is reshaping the sport industry, particularly in football (soccer). With major groups like including the #City #Football #Group, #RedBull, alongside others investing in multiple clubs worldwide, the game is becoming more interconnected than ever. But what does this mean for the future of sport? Here's a little sneak peak of what we'll be covering at our VSI Executive Education event in #March with Jason Stephens, Simon Orriss and others. ✅ Global Reach: MCO groups are expanding their #footprints, creating #global #fanbases, and attracting #sponsors by linking clubs across #continents. Smaller clubs benefit from this increased #visibility and #resources. ✅ Talent Development: A structured pathway for players has emerged, allowing #young #talent to grow at smaller clubs within the network before stepping onto bigger stages. Groups like Red Bull have turned this into an art form. ✅ Financial Stability: Smaller or struggling clubs gain access to the #financial #muscle and #expertise of larger ownership groups, leading to more sustainable operations. BUT... ❌ Challenges to Fair Play: Questions about #conflicts of #interest and #competitive #integrity arise, particularly when clubs from the same group compete in the same tournaments. ❌ Loss of Identity: Fans often worry that their clubs may #lose their #local #culture and #traditions, becoming feeder teams for larger entities. As MCO continues to grow, it offers both opportunities and challenges. While it has the potential to innovate talent development and expand the reach of the sport, it also risks widening the gap between rich and independent clubs. It's a hugely topical issue and one that we'd love to debate with you. So, how can we balance the benefits of MCO while preserving the competitive integrity and cultural significance of individual clubs? Let’s discuss! What’s your take on multi-club ownership? Is it the future of sports or a potential disruptor to the game we love? For more information about our event in #Manchester in #March, email ➡️ admin@vsiee.com I hope to see you there. #SportsBusiness #Football #MultiClubOwnership #Innovation #Leadership UCFB Nick Wilkinson Jonny Acheson Jonny Gray Bart Huby Aaryaman Banerji Tifosy Capital & Advisory LawInSport Oakwell Sports Advisory Wiggin Ben Peppi Dan Plumley Robbie Millar Kelly Skeggs (LLB) (MBA)