Abstract

In this article, we develop a model for measuring corporate social responsibility (CSR) on the club level in European professional football. Modern CSR management and activities have advanced considerably throughout most industries since the late 1990s. However, CSR has only gained recognition in the sports management literature very recently, and models to evaluate CSR programs and activities in the sports context hardly exist. Hence, we conceptualize a CSR Performance Scorecard based on literature on CSR and sports management as well as empirical exploration into particularities of the football business. Relevant to scholars and managers alike, this article seeks to motivate the strategic CSR engagement of professional football. This is achieved through an innovative and context-specific way for its organizational measurement along quantifiable economic, integrative-political, and ethical-emotional dimensions.