When stadium ownership meets Corporate Social Responsibility: The case of U.C. AlbinoLeffe

This article aims to understand the importance of having a stadium owned by a football club as an added value if it is designed and managed from a socially re- sponsible perspective in a context, that of Italian sport, which is still far from Eu- ropean standards in terms of infrastructure. The approach adopted focuses on the AlbinoLeffe Campus, serving as an example of how the ownership of a sports fa- cility can shape and reflect socially responsible policies and practices adopted by a football club. The study examines the distinctive characteristics of the stadium considering the logistical, infrastructural, and environmental aspects underpinning its construction to act as a strategic lever to implement Corporate Social Responsi- bility (CSR) initiatives, a prerogative of club ownership. Some important manage- rial implications emerge from the analysis: 1) the need for a sustainable manage- ment approach for the stadium considering logistical, infrastructural, and environ- mental aspects; 2) the implementation of CSR strategies aligned with the company and the stadium’s characteristics.