ABSTRACT
Professional football occupies a unique position in European sport. This is reflected in football's dominance of media sports coverage, especially since the emergence of private television channels in the 1980s, and the sport's extremely high earnings. This chapter examines present practices in football corporate social responsibility (CSR) and suggests ways in which these practices may evolve. The multifaceted nature of CSR makes it difficult to build an accurate understanding of how the concept has been embraced by sport organizations, which are themselves extremely varied, even within the field of professional sport. CSR initiatives can be directed at three main areas - the local community, employees, and the environment. England has some of the most institutionalized CSR practices among European professional football clubs. In the strategic management approach, stakeholder management is a crucial step in implementing CSR. CSR does not concern only private companies, and the concept is gradually being transposed to all types of organization.
