ABSTRACT

This article presents an in-depth case study of the governance of FC Barcelona up to the end of 2008. An historical account of how the membership-ownership model at FC Barcelona was threatened during the presidency of Josep Núñez between 1978 and 2000 is first presented. An analysis of the conditions over 2000–2003 which led to the election in 2003 of Joan Laporta as club president, on a radical platform for reform of the governance of the club, is then presented. A detailed analysis of the governance and management of FC Barcelona over the 2003–2008 period is then outlined, with the analysis focusing on four key strategic areas: the prioritisation of sporting success; the re-assertion of member democracy and improvements in transparency of club governance; the implementation of a commercial strategy designed to generate increased revenues; and the development of an innovative series of corporate social responsibility initiatives. The analysis concludes with a critical consideration of the reasons why the mutual ownership and governance structure of FC Barcelona does not appear to have hampered its ability to compete in financial and sporting terms and whether this model could be replicated in the English Premier League.