Do fans care about ethical leadership in soccer? A case-study

Abstract

Ethical leadership – conceptualized as implementing as well as promoting ethical behavior – is increasingly studied in soccer (Constandt et al., 2018). It is thereby presented as an effective answer to soccer’s “moral crisis,” which is regularly illustrated by such issues as match-fixing, corruption, and hooliganism. Nevertheless, current empirical understandings on ethical leadership in soccer are limited to the perspectives of coaches and players.

A relevant stakeholder group that is still largely neglected is fans. Fans are unique, being important consumers, and involved, passionate, and loyal stakeholders (Van Eekeren, 2016). Moreover, by raising their voices, fans have a strong impact on soccer club leadership (Biscaia et al., 2018). Therefore, fans are increasingly participating in the management of soccer clubs (García & Welford, 2015). However, we remain in the dark regarding fan’s perceptions about soccer club management in general, and ethical leadership in particular (Cocieru et al., 2018).

Accordingly, this study examines if fans care about ethical leadership by soccer club leaders, drawing on a case study of a Belgian professional soccer club. Alongside interviews with club leaders (n=3), and an analysis of the club’s policy documents, 17 fan interviews were executed. NVivo analyses indicate fans care mainly about ethical leadership aspects that impact their own position, such as clear communication and fan empowerment. These findings raise important questions whether fans really care about ethics, or whether they are mainly self-interested. Understanding fans’ perceptions is also important for soccer clubs to anticipate fan discontent and to incorporate fans’ expectations.