International Journal of Sport Science

Football clubs ownership and management. The fans perspective Propiedad y gestión de los clubes de fútbol. La perspectiva de los aficionados Ramón Llopis-Goig Universidad de Valencia, España Two decades ago a law was passed in Spain that led to the conversion of football clubs into Public Limited Sports Companies (Sport Law of 1990). This article presents an investigation into the fans’ perceptions of the clubs ’ current configuration and functioning. The changes that have taken place in the ownership and management of the clubs are examined from the point of view of the fans, as well as the effects these changes have had on their relations with the clubs. After describing the process leading to the transformation of Spanish football clubs into public limited sports compa-nies, the article presents the main results of qualitative research consisting of interviews with 25 football fans. The conclusions point to the existence of a feeling of symbolic ownership of the clubs that might be weakening in recent seasons, but that determines fans ’ perceptions of the clubs ’ new status. The study also shows that in the current football scenario, the fans see themselves as mere spectators, a condition that produces distancing, indifference and apathy toward anything that does not have to do with their team’s game. Key words: football clubs; management; ownership; fans; sociology of organizations