FOOTBALL BRAND IMAGE AT THE EURO 2012

This study examined international football fans’ images of football and their value structures. In addition, the thesis shows how international football fans’ value structures and their images of football encounter. This research was conducted as a quantitative case study, which used both a printed version and an electronic version of the questionnaire. The research was implemented at the Euro 2012 in June in two cities of Poland, Gdànsk and Sopot. The interviews were carried out in the centers of both cities and in the Fan Park area, which was especially built for this event in Gdànsk. There were 344 interviews conducted. The questionnaire was based on Shalom Schwartz value theory, including both questions related to perceived brand image and the value structure of the respondent. The results were analyzed using statistical methods, and Webropol software. The research revealed that attributes international, fun, exciting, traditional and ambitious were considered to be the most strongly related to football amongst the respondents. No significant differences arose between nationalities, age groups and gender. The strongest values in the value structure of the respondents were hedonism, benevolence, security and universalism. The results indicate that there is no direct connection between the football fans’ own value structures and how they perceive football as a brand. However, it is possible for an international football fan to achieve the goals, which they consider important in their own lives through football. This study can be utilized at sport events when the connection between the brand image of particular sport and the value structure of a sport fan is examined. The consistency of brand image of football can be examined more specifically using these findings together with findings from FIFA World Cup 2010 and future findings from 2014 FIFA World Cup.Opinnäytetyössä tutkittiin kansainvälisen jalkapallofanin mielikuvia jalkapallosta sekä heidän arvorakennettaan. Tämän lisäksi opinnäytetyössä osoitetaan kuinka kansainvälisen jalkapallofanin arvorakenne ja mielikuvat jalkapallosta kohtaavat. Tutkimus toteutettiin kvantitatiivisena tutkimuksena, johon vastattiin sekä paperiversiona että sähköisenä versiona. Tutkimus toteutettiin kesäkuussa 2012 jalkapallon EM-kilpailussa Puolan kahdessa kaupungissa, Gdanskissa ja Sopotissa. Haastattelut toteutettiin molempien kaupunkien keskustoissa sekä kisoja varten rakennetulla Fan Park –alueella Gdanskissa. Vastauksia kerättiin yhteensä 344 kappaletta. Haastattelulomake perustui Shalom Schwartzin arvoteoriaan, ja siinä kysymykset koskevat jalkapallon brändin imagoa sekä vastaajan arvomaailmaa. Tulokset on esitelty tilastollisilla menetelmillä ja niiden analysoinnissa käytettiin sähköistä Webropol –ohjelmistoa. Tutkimuksesta kävi ilmi, että kysytyistä adjektiiveista vastaajat liittivät kansainvälisen, hauskan, jännittävän, perinteisen sekä kunnianhimoisen kuvaamaan vahviten jalkapalloa. Eri kansallisuuksien, ikäryhmien sekä sukupuolten välillä ei ilmennyt huomattavia eroavaisuuksia. Vahvimmat arvot vastaajan arvorakenteessa olivat hedonismi, hyväntahtoisuus, turvallisuus sekä universalismi. Tulokset osoittavat, että jalkapallofanin omalla arvorakenteella ja sillä, millaiseksi hän kokee jalkapallon brändin imagon, ei ole suoranaista yhteyttä. Kansainvälisen jalkapallofanin on kuitenkin mahdollista saavuttaa jalkapallon kautta ne asiat, mitkä hän kokee omassa elämässään itselleen tärkeäksi. Tätä tutkimusta voidaan hyödyntää urheilutapahtumissa, missä tutkitaan kyseisen urheilulajin brändin sekä urheilufanin arvorakenteen yhteyttä. Jalkapallon brändin imagon koostumusta voidaan tutkia vielä tarkemmin hyväksikäyttäen tämän tutkimuksen, FIFA World Cup 2010 sekä tulevan FIFA World Cup 2014 tutkimuksesta saatavia havaintoja

A 2016 Copa America Bump for Major League Soccer? Strengthening the Case for Legal Action Arising from the Corrupted 2022 World Cup Bid

Governmental and private investigations have generated evidence of corruption in the bidding process to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which went to Qatar rather than the United States. One economic study has shown an increase in professional soccer attendance in European countries that host the World Cup and the European Championships. Accordingly, Major League Soccer and its investor-operators could pursue tort and unfair competition claims to argue that denial of a 2022 World Cup USA will result in lowered attendance, and thus lost profits and diminished business value. Key differences in American and European soccer leagues and sports markets might render the assumption that MLS would see a World Cup bump in attendance dubious, however, thus precluding a successful action for damages. The United States recently hosted the 2016 Copa America, a regional soccer tournament similar to the European Championship. An ordinary least squares regression analysis of MLS attendance data immediately before and after the Copa America reveals an increase in attendance correlated with the tournament, thus supporting application of the World Cup bump in a legal action for money damages related to the corrupted 2022 World Cup bid. This Article suggests the need for further research in economics about the impact of nations hosting major soccer tournaments and in evidence law about applying economic studies from one product, business, or market to another product, business, or market

Women’s Football, Europe and Professionalization 1971-2011

This was one of the four inaugural projects funded by the European Football Confederations (UEFA) at the launch of its academic universitites division in 2010-11. There are currently 53 member associations and the project examines the spread of female football in Europe, while UEFA has expanded to incorporate a larger number of countries than the EU (currently 27). Jean Williams, Principle Investigator, used the previously private archives of UEFA to tell the story 1971-2011. The project concluded with 50,000 word report in July 2011 with a presentation at UEFA HQ in Nyon Switzerland. Subsequently, Jean contracted jointly with CIES, Switzerland and UEFA to develop the report and publish a 60,000 word monograph in 2013UEFA (the European Confederation of Football Associations

Proceedings of Mathsport international 2017 conference

Proceedings of MathSport International 2017 Conference, held in the Botanical Garden of the University of Padua, June 26-28, 2017. MathSport International organizes biennial conferences dedicated to all topics where mathematics and sport meet. Topics include: performance measures, optimization of sports performance, statistics and probability models, mathematical and physical models in sports, competitive strategies, statistics and probability match outcome models, optimal tournament design and scheduling, decision support systems, analysis of rules and adjudication, econometrics in sport, analysis of sporting technologies, financial valuation in sport, e-sports (gaming), betting and sports

The effects of mega-events on city branding: the example of warsaw and Euro 2012

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economic

Freedom of Expression and Events of Major Importance: An Analysis of the Issues in Union des associations européennes de football (UEFA) v European Commission in the context New Zealand

This paper discusses the context of a Directive of the European Union which allowed for events of major importance to society to be listed and televised in a manner deemed appropriate by Member States. Union des associations européennes de football challenged the validity of the acceptance of the list of the United Kingdom by the European Commission in 2007. The challenge questioned whether the entirety of the European Championship finals could be included in the list given that this appeared to breach multiple rights and all the matches may not be of major importance. The General Court of Europe and the Court of Justice of the European Union both found for the United Kingdom, highlighting that their powers were limited in respect of the current action. In doing so the courts left open the question of whether the designation properly balanced relevant rights. As every nation has a different context that may influence the balancing of these rights, any decision on the validity of the designation would have to consider large quantities of information. This paper aims to discuss the designation of the EURO championships in light of the circumstances of New Zealand

Analysis of goals scored in the 2010 world cup soccer tournament held in South Africa

Purpose: To analyze the pattern and trends of the goals scored during the 2010 world cup soccer tournament held in South Africa to derive the latest technical and tactical innovations with the hope of applying them at the lower echelons of the game. Methodology: The study was a retrospective one as data were derived from the FIFA (2010) data base. The analysis centered on number of goals; parts of the body used to score; distance from goal; timing of goals in minutes; nature of play preceding a goal; score at half time and winning of the game; open play and set pieces; and the position of the scorers. Data were analyzed and descriptively presented in form of tables and figures. Results: The scoring rate of the world cup was 2.27 goals per match, which is the second lowest in the history of the world cup which was inaugurated in 1930. There were more goals from open play (75.86%) than from set pieces (24.14%); most goals came via shots (108) rather headers (26); strikers scored majority of the goals (53.10%), followed by midfielders (34.48) and defenders (11.04%); more goals were scored in the second half especially in the last 15 minutes of normal regulation time and more goals were scored from within the penalty box than outside. Conclusions: Coaches have to focus on improving the technical and tactical build up into the penalty area; encourage more goal attempts within the penalty box; emphasize and perfect set piece execution; prudently utilize substitution to impact the game in the second half, perfect crossing and headers and to enhance the physical conditioning of the players to enable them play out the entire game without suffering physical deterioration which causes teams to make defensive errors leading to goals in the last 15 minutes of matches