Are Italian football clubs embracing sustainability?

The purpose of this study is to explore the approach of a sustainable governance in terms of sustainability strategies that firms have been implementing towards dif- ferent stakeholders. The study adopts the stakeholder theory lens to advance research on the area. A qualitative approach was used through semi-structured interviews with 17 participants employed in a total of 12 Italian professional football organiza- tions participating in the top division of football (Serie A). Specific themes regarding the sustainability (and CSR) strategies implemented by the 12 football clubs emerged from the in-depth interviews: a) sustainability approach (awareness), b) or- ganizational sustainability capacity in terms of human, financial and other core re- sources, networks and external relationships. This study sheds light on football clubs’ sustainability, representing a distinctive view in managerial literature.