CEOs’ Forum of Dubai Clubs reviews ways of increasing financial performance competency, boosting assets value

DUBAI, 3rd June, 2023 (WAM) — Dubai Sports Council (DSC) has organised a forum for CEOs of football companies on Friday, as part of the implementation of the Council’s strategic plan to develop football in Dubai sports clubs.

The Forum, held under the theme “Increasing the Value in Football Industry”, was held in the presence of Saeed Hareb, Secretary-General of DSC; Naser Aman Al-Rahma, Assistant Secretary-General of DSC; CEOs of football companies in Dubai clubs; sports and technical managers, first teams’ managers, academies’ managers and officers of professionalism, marketing, communication and investment at Dubai clubs.

The forum was addressed by Guido Venga, the Former CEO of Rome Club in Italy.

Saeed Hareb presented to Guido Venga the English version of “My Story”, a book written by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.

Guido Venga talked on the governance and financial competency in professional clubs, ways of creating marketing plans and commercial activities, disposing of the club’s assets and patterns of clubs’ ownership. He also spoke about the sports performance competence, talents management strategy, stages of team building, sports manager’s tasks and various elements of success in football academies.

Guido Venga reviewed the patterns of club ownership in various countries of the world and referred to some examples from the most famous international clubs of an investment nature. In this regard, there are fully privately owned clubs such as Liverpool Club of England, and other clubs partially owned by the private sector with part of the shares publicly listed such Manchester United Club. Some clubs are subject to golden shares, where decisions are taken by private owners and investors, besides the fans union who have the right of VETO on main decisions; example of this is the SAF Club of Brazil.

Another example is the pattern of clubs owned as per 50 + 1 system, such as Bayer Leverkusen Club, in which fans have the majority right of voting for adoption of decisions.

In the fifth pattern, clubs are fully owned by fan-led associations, which are composed of members who pay annual membership fees to the club, such as the Brazil’s Palmeiras.

Guido Venga confirmed that football reflects the eagerness and desire to attain success, and that investment in football is not limited to financial sides and review of technical performance of players only, but it also represents full social life. Community and fans aspects should be placed top on the list of planning, so that the club can attain development and tangible success, he said.

He explained that positive results are generated from valuable items which can be gained through continuous development of sport. Club development is mainly related to the level of fans’ interactions and responses, and therefore clubs must share their decisions with their fans in order to increase fans interaction and boost their sense of belonging. The team may perform poorly at some stages, and play a low-level match, but its fans still attend to the stadiums to follow and support the team because they have a sense of belonging and consider themselves as an integral part of the club.