Global Fútbol

Extracting the greatest possible returns from the football stadiums, sporting complexes and other infrastructure controlled by clubs is the primary objective of LaLiga’s Business Infrastructure department. This department helps, advises and offers clubs all the tools they need to achieve greater revenue from the operation of their facilities.

While the United States is a country that specialises in maximising profits from its sporting events, LaLiga clubs are realising that focusing on this type of business model can be very lucrative. The aim is for clubs to maximise matchday opportunities and to also get the most out of the stadium on days when there isn’t a game. The idea is to make the venue a multifunctional space, one where football is the focus of attention for most of the year but where there are other uses to help make investments more profitable.

Explaining the role of his department, Milos Nenadovic, Club Infrastructure Consultant at LaLiga, said: “We work with all LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank clubs on revenue generation strategies for their infrastructure. We also have projects that are up and running regarding catering at the stadiums of LaLiga clubs, where we are trying to bring the clubs’ catering rights together to secure the best market conditions.”

He continued: “We are focusing a lot on the food and beverage side of things, but we are also looking at other ways to attract customers who want to enjoy a nice day or evening out at a stadium. For example, we’re looking at matchday experiences for children’s birthdays, at experiences where you can feel like a player and even at non-matchday experiences or events, such as conferences, business teambuilding, exhibitions for sponsors’ new products or services and coworking spaces for companies that want to use a stadium or sporting complex.”

An important concept for football stadiums nowadays is to make them exclusive and revenue-boosting. On the idea of stadiums not only being used for matchdays, but also as leisure centres and spaces for other business opportunities, the consultant added: “The biggest challenge is making a start and taking the first steps towards changing a way of working, as then you can start thinking of your infrastructure as a business and as a way of generating revenue for the club. This is always something that we encourage from the start, so that the clubs feel more comfortable and driven to design these strategies that will create a better environment for their fans, clients and supporters.”

With all the work being done by LaLiga's Business Infrastructure department, the plan is: “Within four to five seasons most LaLiga clubs will be in a situation where they themselves can make the most of their facilities and infrastructure, extracting the maximum from them through different strategies for their fans.”

Nenadovic pointed to some examples, explaining that Levante UD are “a club well positioned to create different types of events and experiences for different types of customers in the infrastructure”. Other current examples include Villarreal CF, a club that recently undertook extensive renovations to the stadium, creating more leisure spaces that can achieve more profit, while RCD Mallorca are redeveloping their own ground to give the facility a new lease of life so that there will be business and cultural events beyond football that can increase turnover.