FOOTBALL BUSINESS Podcast by FBIN

We talk with Zeycan R. Yıldırım, CMO of Samsunspor, about the Purple Jersey Project and the role of social responsibility in football. From using a special jersey to raise awareness about violence against women to building long-term programs around education, self-defense, psychological support, and inclusion, we explore how clubs turn purpose into action. We also discuss Samsunspor’s local identi...

We talk with Thomas Rypens, Innovation and Insights Director at Club Brugge, and Dirk Schluenz, Managing Director of 1. FC Nürnberg Marketing, about practical innovation in modern football clubs. From building the right culture and leadership mindset to turning ideas into real revenue streams and better fan experiences, we explore how historic clubs can stay competitive — even with limited budgets...

We talk with Michael Rice from AccessibALL about how football improves accessibility for disabled fans, staff and media. From small operational fixes to large-scale tournament standards, we discuss the progress made, the gaps that remain and the practical steps clubs and federations can take to build inclusive matchday experiences for everyone.

We talk with Ben Harburg about the changing geography of football investment. From Cádiz CF’s international strategy to the first foreign ownership in Saudi Arabian football with Al-Kholood, we discuss what drives new markets, how community-first models can work globally, and what these moves reveal about football’s next era of growth.

We talk with the Latvian Virsliga about revolutionizing fan engagement through their new mobile app. Chairman Maksims Krivuņecs and CEO of Blocksport Vladimir Liulka discuss the app's development, its impact on Latvian football, and future plans for enhancing fan interaction and league growth.

We speak with Lincoln City FC about competing with bigger clubs through innovation, strong community ties, and clear strategic focus. CEO Liam Scully and Chief Growth & Innovation Officer Jason Futers share insights on governance, fan engagement, and building for long-term success.

In this episode, Robin Austermann, Head of Europe & LATAM - Sales & Audiovisual Rights, shares insights into the Bundesliga’s media rights strategy. From tackling piracy to engaging a new generation of viewers, the league is redefining media rights through innovation to stay ahead in football broadcasting. We dived into several exciting questions: 1) The Current State of Media Rights in European F...

In this episode, Markus Klausmann, Director of Sales and Partnerships (DACH & CEE) at Stats Perform, shares his journey of blending a lifelong passion for football with cutting-edge innovation. Born into a family with a rich football tradition, Markus reflects on fulfilling his childhood dream through a partnership with kicker, gaining inspiration from his digital-native son about Gen Z’s evolving...

In this episode, we sat down with Vladimir Liulka, CEO and Founder of Blocksport.io, a Web3-ready sports tech company specializing in digital fan engagement and innovative solutions for clubs, leagues, and federations. We explore how Web3 technology is redefining fan engagement and transforming the football industry. Vladimir shared his journey from tech innovator to sports tech pioneer, delving i...

We sat down with Staffan Holmberg, a behavioral researcher and leader at Djurgården Skolidrott, the Djurgården School Sports Association of Djurgårdens IF Fotboll. Staffan shares the eye-opening journey of how Djurgården, one of Stockholm's most iconic football clubs, went beyond just playing the game to launch a school sports program with a transformative 30-year vision. Djurgården Skolidrott is...

"If one day I write my book on professional sports ownership, it'll be the shortest book ever. It's location, location, location." This quote is just one of the key hooks in this inspiring episode with Brett Johnson, a seasoned football owner and investor. Brett is the Chairman and Co-Founder of United Soccer League side Rhode Island FC, a shareholder in Premier League club Ipswich Town, and part...

FROM DIPLOMAT AT THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS TO VALENCIA AND BURNLEY FC Diplomacy and football might seem like two different worlds—one is political and academic, serious, while the other is fueled by passion, emotion, and entertainment. How can someone transition from being a diplomat to leading top European football clubs? That’s the story we uncover in this episode with Sean Bai. From worki...

In this episode, we caught up with Michal Mertinyak, the Executive Director of the Slovak League (Niké Liga). Michal shared the inside story of how the league has thrived in recent years, including the incredible feat of doubling its broadcasting revenue in a three-year cycle. Join us as we dive into the success factors and challenges that have driven this remarkable growth.

Why embark on a new journey at FC Magdeburg when FC St. Pauli finally got promoted to the Bundesliga in 2024? This was one of the key questions we explored in our candid conversation with Martin Geisthardt, the former Head of Sales and Marketing at St. Pauli and now the Managing Director at FC Magdeburg. 

Did you know the only Swedish club to ever win the European Cups, not once but twice, was IFK Göteborg? In this episode, we chatted with Marcus Modéer, Head of Communication at IFK Göteborg. Marcus shared what makes this sleeping giant of Scandinavian football special, why they were called “The Last Proletarians of Football,”  how they monetized premium content to open up a €300k revenue stream, a...

We sat down with Giorgos Lagaris, the Chief Commercial Officer of PAOK. We've discovered that the real magic of our podcast unfolds when our guests share their deeply personal journeys—and Giorgos truly delivered. He recounted the pivotal moment he chose to leave a secure management role for an uncertain internship at Sportfive, how that decision ultimately led him to PAOK, and his rich experience...

Welcome to the first episode of our new series, Football Business Insider! Our goal is to provide real-life stories from professionals working in the football industry. In this episode, we had the pleasure of speaking with Gary Udhwani, Regional Manager for Europe at LaLiga. Gary's story is unique—born in the Canary Islands of Spain, with Indian roots, he transcended a pool of 12,000 candidates to...

In this epsiode, we cover the key questions below: Why was EintrachtTech established, and what are its main missions and objectives? It's pretty common for clubs nowadays to have their own digital or technology department. But why does the club want to have a separate company for this? What are the key business pillars of  EintrachtTech?  What are the main challenges of digitalization you are faci...

We spoke to Rodrigo Yavarone, Football Operations & Business Intelligence Manager at Cruz Azul. With extensive experience in European and South American football, Rodrigo now brings his expertise and passion to Mexico. In this episode, Rodrigo takes us through the dynamic world of Mexican football, the huge potential of Liga MX and stories of one of the biggest clubs in Mexico.

In this exciting episode, we dive into the distinct worlds of managing football clubs in Europe and the U.S. with Siegmund Gruber, CEO of LASK, and Drew Bentley, VP of Business Operations & Strategy at DC United. We discussed the challenges of adopting the American sports model in Europe, the success of U.S. matchday experiences, and how U.S. football can learn from European clubs' deep-rooted tra...

The key questions: The key pillars for growth strategies at FK Austria Wien in the coming years. Unique characteristics of Austrian football. Johannes’s perspectives on Red Bull Salzburg's dominance and its impact on the Austrian leagues.

We are kicking off the year 2024 with a special episode - host Quang T. Pham invited FBIN's Managing Director Thomas Maurer to the show to reflect on the past, talk about the present and take a look at the future of FBIN. They discussed challenges and highlights of 2023, goals for the future and the plans for 2024.

In this episode of the Football Business Podcast, we're focusing on sustainable fan mobility in football, a topic of growing importance for both the sport and our planet. We're joined by Georg Pangl, CEO of the Pangl Football Group, and Egon Prünster, CTO of ummadum, who are at the forefront of this movement.

This is a live interview with Zoe Brough (HR Director, Wolves) at the FBIN Conference powered by 2Mobile on 19 October 2023. Zoe was interviewed by Clemens Hinterdorfer.