19 de marzo de 2024

Best Sports Business books

Cómo trabajar en la industria del deporte

Una completa guía gratuita en PDF escrita por Miguel Ángel Hernández con la colaboración de 16 profesionales de la industria donde podrás encontrar una visión realista de la industria y los mejores consejos y experiencias para ayudarte en la ardua búsqueda de trabajo en la industria del deporte.


Quiet Leadership

Quiet Leadership // Carlo Ancelotti

‘Steeped in glory, loved by players for his light touch, he is probably the most coveted coach in the world.’ – Financial Times

‘a treasury of anecdote and insight’ – The Guardian 

Quiet Leadership contains page upon page of insight into his methods from Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, John Terry and more’. – Sport Magazine

Carlo Ancelotti is one of the greatest managers of all time, with five Champions League titles to his name. Yet his approach could not be further from the aggressive theatricals favoured by many of his rivals. His understated style has earned him the fierce loyalty of players like David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo.

In Quiet Leadership, Ancelotti reveals the full, riveting story of his managerial career – his methods, mentors, mistakes and triumphs – and takes us inside the dressing room to trace the characters, challenges and decisions that have shaped him. The result is both a scintillating memoir and a rare insight into the business of leadership.


Show Me The Money // Esteve Calzada

Show Me the Money! es un manual de marketing deportivo que a través del mundo del fútbol —y extrapolable a otros deportes— descubre cómo conseguir dinero para un club, un torneo, una federación o incluso un deportista a nivel individual. Mediante la utilización de un estilo directo y muy didáctico, plagado de experiencias y ejemplos reales, Esteve Calzada detalla cómo conseguir presencia en los medios, captar aficionados y generar ingresos a través de la explotación de las instalaciones, los patrocinios, los derechos de televisión y de imagen de deportistas y la gestión de productos licenciados. Algunos datos sobre el número de licencias y el negocio deportivo: 19 687 clubs de fútbol federados en España y 97 353 clubs deportivos federados. La FIFA recaudó más de 3600 millones de dólares con el Mundial de Sudáfrica de 2010. La Champions League genera para la UEFA más de 1000 millones de euros de ingresos anuales. El Real Madrid incrementó sus ingresos un 9% en la temporada 2010/11 hasta 480 millones de euros, situándose por séptimo año consecutivo como club con más ingresos del mundo. El patrocinio de la camiseta del FC Barcelona convirtió a Qatar Foundation en la marca patrocinadora de fútbol más conocida en España (notoriedad 16,5%). El Manchester United consiguió un promedio de ocupación del 97,6% en los partidos de liga disputados en Old Trafford durante la temporada 2010/11.


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Leading // Sir Alex Ferguson & Sir Michael Moritz

‘One of the World’s all-time great leaders’Professor Anita Elberse, Harvard Business SchoolWhat does it take to lead a team to world-class success over a sustained period of time?Sir Alex Ferguson is one of the few leaders who truly knows. In his 38 years in management, Sir Alex won an astonishing 49 trophies and helped grow Manchester United into one of the biggest commercial brands in the world. In this inspirational and straight-talking book, Sir Alex reveals the secrets behind his record-breaking career.LEADING is structured around the key skills that Sir Alex values most highly. It includes subjects we immediately associate with his managerial style: Discipline, Control, Teamwork and Motivation. But it also addresses subjects that are less obvious but no less important when seeking success: Delegation, Data Analysis and Dealing with Failure.Written with the investor Sir Michael Moritz, a longstanding friend of Sir Alex, LEADING is packed with insight, wisdom, humour and honesty. The individual stories inevitably concern themselves with football, and the phenomenal success that came along the way, but the lessons can be applied by anyone. Whether you run a business, teach in a classroom, or work in a small team, LEADING will help you become a better leader.


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La Pelota No Entra Por Azar // Ferrán Soriano

En estas páginas Ferran Soriano, quien tuvo un exitoso desempeño como Vicepresidente y Director General del F.C. Barcelona, expone con claridad cómo hacer de un club de fútbol una empresa exitosa, usando para ello las mismas estrategias, herramientas de gestión y sentido común que se usa en las grandes empresas del mundo.
Soriano habla con amenidad de estrategia, liderazgo, desarrollo de equipos ganadores, gestión del cambio e innovación. Con ingeniosas comparaciones, expediciones a la selva o panaderías, acabamos sabiendo cómo Beckham fue el Mickey Mouse del Manchester United o cómo Zidane generó un tsunami de inflación en toda una industria.
Con claridad, ejemplos indiscutibles y la ayuda de Goethe, Carles Puyol, Picasso, Eto’o, Michael J. Fox, Leo Messi, Carl Jung, Al Pacino, Guillermo de Ockham, el doctor House, Frank Rijkaard, Pep Guardiola o Ronaldinho, entre muchísimos más, el autor ofrece un cuadro completo de teoría, práctica, ejemplos y anécdotas.
La pelota no entra por azar es no solo un texto imprescindible para todos aquellos a los que les interesa el fútbol (como gestores, entrenadores, jugadores o aficionados), sino también un libro revelador para cualquiera que desee llevar adelante un negocio o dirigir equipos en una organización.

FERRAN SORIANO, nacido en Barcelona en 1967, es licenciado en Administración de Empresas y MBA. Tiene 20 años de experiencia como empresario, consultor y ejecutivo en más de diez países de Europa y América, en las industrias de productos de consumo, telecomunicaciones, aviación y fútbol. Fue Vicepresidente y Director General del Fútbol Club Barcelona en el periodo 2003-2008. Ha dado conferencias alrededor del mundo y escrito sobre fútbol y gestión. Actualmente es el CEO del Manchester City F.C. en Inglaterra y asesor del Consejo del Club América en México.

(Recomendado por Felipe Mora)


Shoe Dog // Phil Knight

In this instant and tenacious New York Times bestseller, Nike founder and board chairman Phil Knight “offers a rare and revealing look at the notoriously media-shy man behind the swoosh” (Booklist, starred review), illuminating his company’s early days as an intrepid start-up and its evolution into one of the world’s most iconic, game-changing, and profitable brands.

Bill Gates named Shoe Dog one of his five favorite books of 2016 and called it “an amazing tale, a refreshingly honest reminder of what the path to business success really looks like. It’s a messy, perilous, and chaotic journey, riddled with mistakes, endless struggles, and sacrifice. Phil Knight opens up in ways few CEOs are willing to do.”

Fresh out of business school, Phil Knight borrowed fifty dollars from his father and launched a company with one simple mission: import high-quality, low-cost running shoes from Japan. Selling the shoes from the trunk of his car in 1963, Knight grossed eight thousand dollars that first year. Today, Nike’s annual sales top $30 billion. In this age of start-ups, Knight’s Nike is the gold standard, and its swoosh is one of the few icons instantly recognized in every corner of the world.

But Knight, the man behind the swoosh, has always been a mystery. In Shoe Dog, he tells his story at last. At twenty-four, Knight decides that rather than work for a big corporation, he will create something all his own, new, dynamic, different. He details the many risks he encountered, the crushing setbacks, the ruthless competitors and hostile bankers—as well as his many thrilling triumphs. Above all, he recalls the relationships that formed the heart and soul of Nike, with his former track coach, the irascible and charismatic Bill Bowerman, and with his first employees, a ragtag group of misfits and savants who quickly became a band of swoosh-crazed brothers.

Together, harnessing the electrifying power of a bold vision and a shared belief in the transformative power of sports, they created a brand—and a culture—that changed everything.

(Recomendado por Gonzalo Corbi)


Moneyball // Michael Lewis

Moneyball is a quest for the secret of success in baseball. Following the low-budget Oakland Athletics, their larger-than-life general manger, Billy Beane, and the strange brotherhood of amateur baseball enthusiasts, Michael Lewis has written not only «the single most influential baseball book ever» (Rob Neyer, Slate) but also what «may be the best book ever written on business» (Weekly Standard).

I wrote this book because I fell in love with a story. The story concerned a small group of undervalued professional baseball players and executives, many of whom had been rejected as unfit for the big leagues, who had turned themselves into one of the most successful franchises in Major League Baseball. But the idea for the book came well before I had good reason to write it―before I had a story to fall in love with. It began, really, with an innocent question: how did one of the poorest teams in baseball, the Oakland Athletics, win so many games?

With these words Michael Lewis launches us into the funniest, smartest, and most contrarian book since, well, since Liar’s PokerMoneyball is a quest for something as elusive as the Holy Grail, something that money apparently can’t buy: the secret of success in baseball. The logical places to look would be the front offices of major league teams, and the dugouts, perhaps even in the minds of the players themselves. Lewis mines all these possibilities―his intimate and original portraits of big league ballplayers are alone worth the price of admission―but the real jackpot is a cache of numbers―numbers!―collected over the years by a strange brotherhood of amateur baseball enthusiasts: software engineers, statisticians, Wall Street analysts, lawyers and physics professors.

(Recomendado por Jorge Estévez)


El Método Manchester United // Gerardo Molina

Es palpable el inusitado crecimiento del número de actores que dinamizan la industria deportiva a nivel mundial, frente a esta realidad objetiva; hay una mayor cantidad de organizaciones públicas y privadas promoviendo y desarrollando la práctica deportiva; encontramos más gestores, empresarios, directivos, managers, entrenadores, medios de comunicación, redes sociales, deportistas, y auxiliares logísticos y operativos.

La obra demuestra como el management deportivo se ha venido nutriendo, en la última década, de otras ciencias y áreas del conocimiento, los que influenciaron y participaron de manera activa en las propuestas que desde el sector se vienen ofreciendo para la satisfacción y superación de las necesidades deportivas de las sociedades.

Gerardo Molina brinda herramientas lógicas y productivas para la aplicación de una gestión en la administración del deporte, a través de la planificación estratégica de la comunicación, calidad de servicio, imagen, relaciones públicas, publicidad, marketing y negociación, como ejes que permitan a los clubes y asociaciones poder migrar en «empresas deportivas», en donde, con racionalidad empresaria, se comience por integrar el talento humano como prioridad para alcanzar el logro de éxitos como un proceso sustentable.

Finalmente, el autor, en síntesis, propone un modo práctico y sencillo para la transformación de los «equipos y clubes en empresas». Con un pensamiento estratégico aporta ingenierías de innovación comercial teóricas e interactivas que permiten que el producto deporte inicie una conversión empresarial, sacando provecho de las oportunidades que el entorno ofrece, minimizando el impacto de las amenazas hacia el logro de resultados deseados.

(Recomendado por Eliseo Escámez)


Patrocinio Deportivo // Gerardo Molina

Gerardo Molina, gurú internacional en marketing deportivo, en esta obra explica de modo sencillo y claro como diseñar patrocinios dentro de la industria deportiva y del entretenimiento, fijando una probada formula de éxito para lograr generar vínculos rentables entre quienes patrocinan y los patrocinados con garantía de sustentabilidad.

La obra brinda precisión sobre los códigos utilizados para la invención de campañas de comercialización para la puesta en marcha de acciones innovadoras entre las propiedades deportivas y empresas.

En síntesis, el autor en estas páginas, desnuda el desarrollo de los patrocinios deportivos como el motor que moviliza el desarrollo del deporte en el contexto de la transformación digital, alcanzando niveles de emoción y motivación en millones de personas logrando nuevas experiencias sociales.

(Recomendado por Eliseo Escámez)


The Club // Joshua Robinson – Jonathan Clegg

An excellent recap, with wonderful access and forensic detail on the Premier League’s rise to global alpha status… All told with an arch sense of humour The Guardian

How did English football – once known for its stale pies, bad book-keeping and hooligans – become a commercial powerhouse and the world’s premium popular entertainment?

This was a business empire built in only twenty-five years on ambition, experimentation and gambler’s luck. Lead by a motley cast of executives, Russian oligarchs, Arab Sheikhs, Asian Titans, American Tycoons, battle-hardened managers, ruthless agents and the Murdoch media – the Premier League has been carved up, rebranded and exported to phenomenal 185 countries. The United Nations only recognizes 193.

But the extraordinary profit of bringing England’s ageing industrial towns to a compulsive global attention has come at a cost. Today, as players are sold for hundreds of millions and clubs are valued in the billions, local fans are being priced out – and the clubs’ local identities are fading. The Premier League has become the classic business fable for our globalised world.

Drawing on dozens of exclusive and revelatory interviews from the Boardrooms – including Liverpool’s John W. Henry, Tottenham’s Daniel Levy, Martin Edwards and David Gill at Manchester United, Arsène Wenger and Stan Kroenke at Arsenal, Manchester City’s sporting director Txiki Begiristain, and executives at Chelsea, West Ham, Leicester City and Aston Villa – this is the definitive bustand boom account of how the Premier League product took over the world.

(Recomendado por Felipe Mora)


The Real Madrid Way // Steven G. Mandis

The untold story of Real Madrid: one of the most incredible turnarounds in sports and business history.

Real Madrid is the most successful sports team on the planet. The soccer club has more trophies than any other sports team, including 11 UEFA Champions League trophies. However, the story behind the triumph goes beyond the players and coaches. Generally unnoticed, a management team consisting mostly of outsiders took the team from near bankruptcy to the most valuable sports organization in the world.

How did Real Madrid achieve such extraordinary success? Columbia Business School adjunct professor Steven G. Mandis investigates. Given unprecedented behind-the-scenes access, Mandis is the first researcher to rigorously ana- lyze both the on-the-field and business aspects of a sports team. What he learns is completely unexpected and challenges the conventional wisdom that moneyball-fueled data analytics are the primary instruments of success. Instead, Real Madrid’s winning formula both on and off the field, from player selection to financial management, is based on aligning strategy with the culture and values of its fan base.

Chasing the most talented (and most expensive) players can be a recipe for a winning record, but also financial disaster, as it was for Real Madrid in the late 1990s. Real Madrid’s management believes that the club exists to serve the Real Madrid community. They discovered that its fans care more about why the team exists, how their club wins, and whom it wins with versus just winning. The why, how, and whom create a community brand and identity, and inspire extraordinary passion and loyalty, which has led to amazing marketing and commercial success—in turn, attracting and paying for the best players in the world, with the values the fans expect. The club’s values and culture also provide a powerful environment for these best players to work together to win trophies.

The Real Madrid Way explains how Real Madrid has created and maintains a culture that drives both financial and on-the-field success. This book is an engrossing account of the lifetime of one of the greatest clubs in the most popular sport in the world, and for business and organization leaders, it’s an invaluable inside look at a compelling alternative model with lasting competitive advantages that can deliver superior and sustainable returns and performance.

(Recomendado por Felipe Mora)


Soccernomics // Simon Super – Stefan Szymanski

At last, football has its answer to Freakonomics, The Tipping Point and The Undercover Economist.

Why do England lose?”
“Why do Germany & Brazil Win?”
“How have Spain conquered the World?”
«Penalties – what are they good for?»
“What is the price on achieving success and the true cost of failure?”

These are questions every football fan has asked. Soccernomics (previously published as Why England Lose) answers them. Written with an economist’s brain and a football writer’s skill, it applies high-powered analytical tools to everyday football topics.

Soccernomics isn’t in the first place about money. It’s about looking at data in new ways. It’s about revealing counterintuitive truths about football. It explains all manner of things about the game which newspapers just can’t see. It all adds up to a new way of looking at football, beyond clichés about «The Magic of the FA Cup», «England’s Shock Defeat» and «Newcastle’s New South American Star».

No training in economics is needed to read Soccernomics but the reader will come out of it with a better understanding not just of football, but of how economists think and what they know.

(Recomendado por Felipe Mora)


Rafa, Mi Historia // John Carlin

¿Cómo se forja un campeón? ¿Qué hay que hacer para ser el mejor del mundo en un deporte como el tenis?
Con sencillez, franqueza e inteligencia, Rafael Nadal guía a los lectores por el dramático y triunfante viaje de su vida, sin perder nunca de vista el trofeo que más valora en este mundo: la unidad y el amor de su familia.
Desde que inició su trayectoria profesional ha ascendido meteóricamente y es el tenista profesional más joven que ha ganado los cuatro títulos de Grand Slam.
Su historia empieza en la isla de Mallorca, donde la familia Nadal ha vivido durante generaciones. Entrenado por su tío Toni desde que tenía 4 años, educado por sus padres en la modestia y el respeto, Rafa ha conseguido la inusual hazaña de ser una persona sencilla, laboriosa y amable, y un ejemplo de conducta en todos los aspectos de la vida.

(Recomendado por Felipe Mora)


Pep Guardiola // Martí Perarnau

Este libro retrata la metamorfosis que ha vivido en Alemania el nuevo entrenador del Manchester City. El fútbol alemán ha ejercido importantes cambios en Pep Guardiola, que ha captado nuevos conceptos e ideas y los ha incorporado a su modelo de juego, modelo que conserva los fundamentos esenciales pero con variantes y modificaciones fruto de los cambios que Alemania han provocado en Guardiola, las adversidades superadas, las nuevas ideas que enriquecen su modelo de juego y el gran desafío que afronta con el Manchester City.
Martí Perarnau ha convivido tres años con Guardiola y su cuerpo técnico en Múnich y relata con detalle la sustancia de esta transformación. Pep es hoy en día mejor entrenador porque su catálogo táctico es más variado, menos dogmático y más ecléctico, hasta el punto de haber introducido cambios sustanciales en la forma de trabajar y en su metodología.
La descripción de los ambiciosos objetivos tácticos, estratégicos y competitivos que ha planteado en Mánchester.

(Recomendado por Verónica Brunati)


Fútbol: Dinámica de lo Impensado // Dante Panzeri

Escrito en 1967, este manual indispensable contiene una sentencia reveladora: este libro no sirve para nada”. Para nada que tenga que ver con aprender a jugar, dirigir o describir el fútbol de forma definitiva. El desconocimiento del legado del genial periodista argentino Dante Panzeri es tan grande como la cantidad de veces en que jóvenes y veteranos cronistas recurren a la “dinámica de lo impensado” para explicar el talento de jugadores como Messi, ciertos resultados asombrosos, o aquellos partidos que escapan a la lógica del aburrimiento. La obra fue escrita para invitar a sus lectores a “no ver el fútbol como se lo está mirando”, poniendo en el punto de mira al “show internacional de la seriedad”, cuyos oscuros generales encorbatados no cejan en su empeño de transformar el juego en un productivo negocio. “El fútbol, para ser serio, tiene que ser juego”. De esta manera explicaba Panzeri hace 45 años el ocaso de lo lúdico y el establecimiento de la industria futbolística. La presente obra constituye una crítica a la modernidad desde dentro del campo. Una crítica a la parafernalia del espectáculo, del periodismo, del intelectualismo, de la falsa profesionalización del deporte, que nombra las cosas de forma complicada para que parezcan nuevas. Por más orden que busquemos, por más ciencia que hagamos, el partido se decidirá por el arte de lo imprevisto, y porque el chico del barrio se despertó con buen pie.

(Recomendado por Antonio José Blanco)


Open // Andre Agassi

Far more than a superb memoir about the highest levels of professional tennis, Open is the engrossing story of a remarkable life.

Andre Agassi had his life mapped out for him before he left the crib. Groomed to be a tennis champion by his moody and demanding father, by the age of twenty-two Agassi had won the first of his eight grand slams and achieved wealth, celebrity, and the game’s highest honors. But as he reveals in this searching autobiography, off the court he was often unhappy and confused, unfulfilled by his great achievements in a sport he had come to resent. Agassi writes candidly about his early success and his uncomfortable relationship with fame, his marriage to Brooke Shields, his growing interest in philanthropy, and described in haunting, point-by-point details the highs and lows of his celebrated career.

(Recomendado por Enrique Moreno)


Eleven Rings // Phil Jackson

The inside story of one of basketball’s most legendary and game-changing figures.

New York Times bestseller

During his storied career as head coach of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson won more championships than any coach in the history of professional sports. Even more important, he succeeded in never wavering from coaching his way, from a place of deep values. Jackson was tagged as the Zen master half in jest by sportswriters, but the nickname speaks to an important truth: this is a coach who inspired, not goaded; who led by awakening and challenging the better angels of his players’ nature, not their egos, fear, or greed.

This is the story of a preacher’s kid from North Dakota who grew up to be one of the most innovative leaders of our time. In his quest to reinvent himself, Jackson explored everything from humanistic psychology and Native American philosophy to Zen meditation. In the process, he developed a new approach to leadership based on freedom, authenticity, and selfless teamwork that turned the hypercompetitive world of professional sports on its head.

In Eleven Rings, Jackson candidly describes how he: 

  • Learned the secrets of mindfulness and team chemistry while playing for the champion New York Knicks in the 1970s 
  • Managed Michael Jordan, the greatest player in the world, and got him to embrace selflessness, even if it meant losing a scoring title 
  • Forged successful teams out of players of varying abilities by getting them to trust one another and perform in sync 
  • Inspired Dennis Rodman and other “uncoachable” personalities to devote themselves to something larger than themselves 
  • Transformed Kobe Bryant from a rebellious teenager into a mature leader of a championship team. 

Eleven times, Jackson led his teams to the ultimate goal: the NBA championship six times with the Chicago Bulls and five times with the Los Angeles Lakers. We all know the legendary stars on those teams, or think we do. What Eleven Rings shows us, however, is that when it comes to the most important lessons, we don’t know very much at all. This book is full of revelations: about fascinating personalities and their drive to win; about the wellsprings of motivation and competition at the highest levels; and about what it takes to bring out the best in ourselves and others.

(recomendado por Íñigo de la Iglesia)


The Mamba Mentality // Kobe Bryant

The Mamba Mentality: How I Play is Kobe Bryant’s personal perspective of his life and career on the basketball court and his exceptional, insightful style of playing the game–a fitting legacy from the late Los Angeles Laker superstar. In the wake of his retirement from professional basketball, Kobe «The Black Mamba» Bryant decided to share his vast knowledge and understanding of the game to take readers on an unprecedented journey to the core of the legendary «Mamba mentality.» Citing an obligation and an opportunity to teach young players, hardcore fans, and devoted students of the game how to play it «the right way,» The Mamba Mentality takes us inside the mind of one of the most intelligent, analytical, and creative basketball players ever. In his own words, Bryant reveals his famously detailed approach and the steps he took to prepare mentally and physically to not just succeed at the game, but to excel. Readers will learn how Bryant studied an opponent, how he channeled his passion for the game, how he played through injuries. They’ll also get fascinating granular detail as he breaks down specific plays and match-ups from throughout his career. Bryant’s detailed accounts are paired with stunning photographs by the Hall of Fame photographer Andrew D. Bernstein. Bernstein, long the Lakers and NBA official photographer, captured Bryant’s very first NBA photo in 1996 and his last in 2016–and hundreds of thousands in between, the record of a unique, twenty-year relationship between one athlete and one photographer. The combination of Bryant’s narrative and Bernstein’s photos make The Mamba Mentality an unprecedented look behind the curtain at the career of one of the world’s most celebrated and fascinating athletes.

(Recomendado por Verónica Brunati)


Betaball // Erik Malinowski

Moneyball meets The City Game in this compelling look at how the NBA champion Golden State Warriors embraced savvy business practices, next-gen science, and the corporate culture of Silicon Valley to not only produce one of the greatest basketball teams in history but also revolutionize the NBA.

Discover the definitive, inside account of how the Warriors, under the leadership of venture capitalist Joe Lacob and Hollywood producer Peter Guber, quickly became one of the most remarkable success stories ever, both in sports and business. In just five years, they turned a declining franchise with no immediate hope into one of the greatest teams in basketball, a period that included the rise of All-Star point guard Stephen Curry and two NBA championships in the past three years. By operating in «beta»—always innovating, unafraid to embrace change, encouraging risk—the Warriors have become a model organization for American professional sports, instituting the best workplace principles found inside the world’s most successful corporations and instilling a top-down organizational ethos that allows their employees to thrive, from the front office to the free-throw line.

With in-depth access and meticulous reporting on and off the court, acclaimed journalist Erik Malinowski recounts a gripping tale of worlds colliding, a team’s reinvention, ordinary people being pushed to extraordinary heights, and the Golden State Warriors’ unending quest to remain the best.

(Recomendado por Borja de Altolaguirre)


Money and Football // Stefan Szymanski

Modern soccer is big business. From the ill-received takeover of Manchester United by the Glazer family to Paris Saint Germain’s current shopping spree for the best footballers on the planet, soccer finance has become an increasingly important part of the game. Barely a summer goes by now without a cherished club going into administration or a wealthy businessman funding a mid table team’s ascension to Champions League competitor. Meanwhile, the twice-annual multi-million dollar merry-go-round of transfer season sees players (and now managers) signed for sums thought impossible just a decade ago. Understanding soccer finance has become essential for comprehending the beautiful game. But for many fans, soccer finance remains, frustratingly, a world that is opaque and difficult to grasp. Stefan Szymanski, co-author of the bestselling Soccernomics, tackles every soccer fan’s burning questions in Money and Soccer: A Soccernomics Guide. From the abolition of the maximum wage in the 1960s, through to the impact of TV money both at home and abroad in the 1990s and 2000s, Szymanski explains how money, or lack of, affects your favourite club. Drawing on extensive research into financial records dating back to the 1970s, Szymanski provides clear analysis of the way that clubs have transformed in the modern era.This book isn’t limited to European clubs. Szymanski, a renowned expert on sports management and economics, looks at what we can learn from comparing the ascension of Europe’s biggest clubs to their lofty perches and with new financial models across the world. Through careful research and informative stories drawn from around the globe, Szymanski provides an accessible guide to the world of soccer finance.

(recomendado por Borja de Altolaguirre)


Blockbusters // Anita Elberse

Why the future of popular culture will revolve around ever bigger bets on entertainment products, by one of Harvard Business School’s most popular professors

What’s behind the phenomenal success of entertainment businesses such as Warner Bros., Marvel Entertainment, and the NFL—along with such stars as Jay-Z, Lady Gaga, and LeBron James? Which strategies give leaders in film, television, music, publishing, and sports an edge over their rivals?

Anita Elberse, Harvard Business School’s expert on the entertainment industry, has done pioneering research on the worlds of media and sports for more than a decade. Now, in this groundbreaking book, she explains a powerful truth about the fiercely competitive world of entertainment: building a business around blockbuster products—the movies, television shows, songs, and books that are hugely expensive to produce and market—is the surest path to long-term success. Along the way, she reveals why entertainment executives often spend outrageous amounts of money in search of the next blockbuster, why superstars are paid unimaginable sums, and how digital technologies are transforming the entertainment landscape.

Full of inside stories emerging from Elberse’s unprecedented access to some of the world’s most successful entertainment brands, Blockbusters is destined to become required reading for anyone seeking to understand how the entertainment industry really works—and how to navigate today’s high-stakes business world at large.

(Recomendado por Borja de Altolaguirre)


Patrocinar con Cabeza // Pedro P. Casado

¿Has dudado alguna vez de la efectividad de las campañas de marketing de tu negocio o te has preguntado por qué no terminan de funcionar? ¿Has pensado en usar el patrocinio como herramienta para dotar de valores a tu marca, pero no sabes muy bien cómo hacerlo? ¿Conoces esta disciplina, pero no terminas de entender cómo sacarle el máximo partido para tus objetivos? ¿O quizás trabajas para una propiedad y no sabes cómo lograr acuerdos con patrocinadores que aprovechen todo tu potencial? En Patrocinar con cabeza encontrarás el camino para lograr esos objetivos. Estas páginas te guiarán en el diseño de tu estrategia de patrocinio, aprenderás a planificar el proceso de negociación y a evaluar el coste de la acción de forma muy práctica. Además, reforzará la necesidad de realizar una correcta medición de los resultados usando las métricas más efectivas para optimizar las acciones realizadas. Con el apoyo de los múltiples ejemplos de activación y la opinión de algunos de los mejores expertos que han liderado este tipo de proyectos con excelencia, podrás inspirarte para conformar tu propia visión del patrocinio, para definir la propuesta de valor de tu activo y para construir tu imagen de marca.

PUNTOS FUERTES: • Prólogo de Dabiz Muñoz, chef español mundialmente conocido con 3 estrellas Michelin. • El primer libro sobre el patrocinio que ayuda a todo tipo de empresas a patrocinar con excelencia de una forma muy práctica y con resultados medibles. • Guía para desarrollar una estrategia de patrocinio fase por fase, desde la definición de la acción hasta la definición de la estrategia, la negociación con propiedades y proveedores, el desarrollo del sistema de control y gestión, la activación y el desarrollo del propio evento, la medición de los resultados y la rentabilidad de la acción, con el apoyo de casos reales de empresas como Endesa, Movistar, Pelayo Seguros, etc. • Un libro de cabecera para responsables de marketing, comunicación y directivos en general que quieran usar el patrocinio como herramienta alternativa o de refuerzo de otras acciones de marca. • El autor es un reconocido experto en esta disciplina y ayuda a grandes compañías como Coca-Cola, El Corte Inglés, Caixa Bank o Estrella Damm a conseguir sus objetivos de marketing y comunicación gracias al patrocinio.

(Recomendado por Borja de Altolaguirre)


Brands Defenses Win Championships // Jeremy Darlow

Defense doesn’t win championships. Defense wins games. Brands win championships. In ten years, the most consistently successful college athletic programs will be those with the strongest brands, not simply the strongest defense or most explosive offense from year to year. It’s not just about x’s and o’s anymore. It about polarizing uniforms on the field and massive billboards in Times Square. It’s about making your brand sexy to seventeen- and eighteen-year-old blue-chip athletes. And this is your guidebook on how to reach them. Inside, you’ll find three simple brand-building steps that can take your program from bad to good or from good to great. 

Jeremy Darlow is a brand marketing professional who, during his time at adidas, has worked with schools like Notre Dame, Michigan, and UCLA, and athletes like Robert Griffin III, Dwight Howard, and Lionel Messi. He works to help NCAA athletic programs and athletes build and elevate their brands to elite levels. 

«A must-read for anyone in sports marketing. This book sees the future and shows you how to get there.» – Nate Scott, USA TODAY Sports, For the Win

«Win or lose, here’s how to build a national reputation for your college sports brand» – Al Ries, Author, Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind

«Brands Win Championships offers a practical primer on how to build your brand with story and perception» – Tim Newcomb, Sports Illustrated

«Die hard fans-that one concept, that one overlooked idea-is just one of the big ideas you’ll find inside this book that’s not actually about sports » – Seth Godin, Author, Linchpin

(Recomendado por Borja de Altolaguirre)


Changing The Conversation // 21st Club

21st Club has been sharing its ideas on its Evolution blog for several years. This book celebrates the 100th post by bringing together a selection of the most popular articles, all designed to offer fresh perspectives and creative approaches to crucial topics including strategy, succession planning, recruitment and performance.

Presenting stories, case studies and analytical methods that demonstrate the value of objective thinking, Changing The Conversation aims to help football club boardrooms – and indeed anyone in business who faces similar challenges – find true competitive advantage.

(Recomendado por Borja de Altolaguirre)


Sports, Inc.: 100 Years of Sports Business // Phil Shaaf

It’s not just a game anymore. Sports today, at both the amateur and professional level, is big business, and more and more people are becoming involved in the exciting careers and financial opportunities that sports entertainment offers. In this comprehensive overview of the sports industry Phil Schaaf traces the global evolution of sports entertainment, dissects current trends, and forecasts the likely evolution of sports as a major international enterprise. Divided into two parts, Schaaf begins with a historical overview of the forces that shaped teams, leagues, and sporting events from 1896 to 1975. Focusing on such diverse personalities as Jack Dempsey, George Halas, Babe Ruth, and Joe Louis, Schaaf illustrates how the star power of big-name athletes and the marketing savvy of promoters and business interests defined and cultivated the structure of sports entertainment that we know today. He also discusses the critical impact of such historical events as the integration of baseball, postwar euphoria, and acceptance of radio and television in the formation of the contemporary sports scene. The second part of the book begins in 1976 as the modern professional athlete starts to enjoy newfound legal leverage in labor matters and the «stadium game» becomes a major component of today’s successful sports enterprises. Schaaf addresses criticisms that deals to build expensive new sports facilities represent corporate welfare at its worst, and he examines the real costs and benefits to teams and local communities. He also discusses the changing face of ownership and the clout of major stars and big-market sports cities. With the net worth of individual owners approaching one billion dollars, a minority of players receiving the bulk of payrolls, and the financial muscle of such big cities as New York and Los Angeles endangering the competitive balance, sports is no longer the entertainment our parents remember. With the latest information on one of the most dynamic and growing areas of the entertainment industry, Sports Inc. will enlighten students interested in a career in sports entertainment, sports marketing experts, and hardcore fans alike.

(Recomendado por Rayde Luis Baez)


Tailgating, Sacks, and Salary Caps // Mark Yost

The NFL is the most successful professional sport. The league’s secret to success is sound business practices like revenue sharing and a salary cap. These policies have created parity on the field and in the boardroom. Because of the collective approach of the league, a small-town team like the Green Bay Packers has just as much chance of getting into the playoffs–and succeeding financially–as big-market teams in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. 

But in 2006, a faction of entrepreneurial owners led by maverick Washington Redskins executive Dan Synder proposed changes to the league finance and revenue models that many fear will upset this near-perfect system. They are creating alternative revenue sources, such as stadium-naming rights, local sponsorships, radio and television deals, pre-game and post-game clubs. These owners are arguing that revenue they generate locally–outside of the normal NFL model–should be theirs to keep. Other owners worry this would dash the league’s parity like Major League Baseball, where big-market teams like the New York Yankees flourish and small-market teams like the Milwaukee Brewers flounder.

This critical battle for the future of America’s most popular sport has opened a wide rift between owners. Tailgating, Sacks, and Salary Caps offers an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the league and examines the maverick owners whose ideas could have lasting repercussions for the players, owners, coaches, and ultimately the fans.

(Recomendado por Rayde Luis Baez)


The Elusive Fan // Irvin Rein, Philip Kotler y Ben Shields

Sports are a multibillion-dollar global business that will continue to grow by leaps and bounds into the foreseeable future. The bad news is: It’s never been harder to attract, engage, and retain the sports fan.

Today’s sports fans are bombarded by choices. Traditional sports, such as baseball, football, and basketball, compete for fans’ dollars with snowboarding, lacrosse, poker…even paintball. The old business formulas, developed in the age of three TV networks and creaky stadiums, no longer apply.

World-renowned communication expert Irving Rein, international marketing guru Philip Kotler, and communication specialist Ben Shields deliver an innovative new business model centered squarely on fan satisfaction and retention. They give you the tools to transform your sports product into an enduring brand-immune to the vagaries of winning and losing-that quickly adapts to changing market conditions. Along the way they illustrate their points with fascinating case studies, including

  • Manchester United’s transformation from a plucky home team to a billion-dollar international franchise
  • Professional golf phenomenon Michelle Wie’s quest to maximize her talents and marketability
  • Southlake Carroll High School football team’s benchmarking of professional and college football programs to build its own brand
  • Daytona International Speedway’s reinvention of fan intimacy

Combining expert analysis with field-tested strategies for winning hearts and minds, The Elusive Fan is your guide to surviving and thriving in today’s ever-widening world of sports.

(Recomendado por Rayde Luis Baez)


The Marketing of Sport // John Beech, Simon Chadwick

A comprehensive, cutting edge analysis of sport marketing, written by an international team of leading academics.

(Recomendado por Rayde Luis Baez)


Sponsorship: For a Return on Investment // Guy Masterman

Sponsorship is both a critical communications tool for sponsors as well as a fundamental revenue stream for rights owners. Market leaders use sponsorship widely and arguably more successfully than any other communications tool to achieve competitive advantage whilst events of all sizes depend on sponsorship just to exist. As the importance of sponsorship has increased the demands of it have risen too. Now sponsors seek measurable return on their investment. 

Sponsorship: For a Return on Investment provides a unique insight on the use of sponsorship for a return on investment and will appeal to practitioners and undergraduate and postgraduate students alike. It builds a conceptual framework for the development, planning, implementation and evaluation of strategies for sport, arts, music and community sponsorship, and from two perspectives: 

  • For rights owners, the importance of effectively acquiring and then developing a bespoke approach for the recruitment of sponsors for effective sponsorship programmes. 
  • For sponsors, a better understanding of how sponsorship can be used for successful integrated marketing communications. 

A broad selection of examples and case studies from around the world are provided in order to demonstrate the importance of sponsorship on an international basis. This book is vital resource for both students and practioners.

(Recomendado por Rayde Luis Baez)


International Cases in The Business of Sports // Simon Chadwick, Dave Arthur and John Beech

Contemporary sport is big business. Major teams, leagues, franchises, merchandisers and retailers are in fierce competition in a dynamic global marketplace. Now in a fully revised and updated second edition, International Cases in the Business of Sport presents an unparalleled range of cutting-edge case studies that show how contemporary sport business is done and provides insight into commercial management practice.

Written by a team of international experts, these case studies cover organisations and events as diverse as the NBA, the Americas Cup, the Tour de France, the PGA tour, FC Barcelona and the Australian Open tennis. They explore key contemporary themes in sport business and management, such as broadcast rights, social media, strategic development, ownership models, mega-events, sports retailing, globalisation, corruption and financial problems. Each case study also includes discussion questions, recommended reading and links to useful web resources. 

International Cases in the Business of Sport is an essential companion to any sport business or sport management course, and fascinating reading for any sport business professional looking to deepen their understanding of contemporary management.

(recomendado por Rayde Luis Baez)


The Beckham Experiment // Grant Wahl

Documents the 2007 experiment through which the Los Angeles Galaxy recruited European soccer star David Beckham in the hopes of making soccer a big-time fan sport in America, an effort that involved American Idol’s Simon Fuller and Beckham’s wife, Victoria «Posh Spice.» 

(Recomendado por Rayde Luis Baez)


Shoemaker // Joe Foster

The remarkable story of how Joe Foster developed Reebok into one of the world’s most famous sports brands, having started from a small factory in Bolton.

Since the late 19th century, the Foster family had been hand-making running shoes, supplying the likes of Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams – later immortalised in the film Chariots of Fire – as well as providing boots to most Football League clubs. But a family feud between Foster’s father and uncle about the direction of their business led to Joe and his brother Jeff setting up a new company, inspired by the success of Adidas and Puma, and so Reebok was born.

At first, money was so short that Joe and his wife had to live in their rundown factory, while the machinery that made the shoes was placed around the edge of the floor, because it was so weak it could have collapsed if they’d been positioned in the middle. But, from this inauspicious start, a major new player in the sports equipment field began to emerge, inspired by Joe’s marketing vision. By the 1980s, Reebok had become a global phenomenon, when they were the first to latch onto the potential of the aerobics craze inspired by Jane Fonda. Soon, Reeboks were being seen on Hollywood red carpets and even in the film Aliens, where Sigourney Weaver wore a pair of Reebok Alien Stompers. 

Like the international bestseller Shoe Dog, by Nike’s Phil Knight, Shoemaker is a powerful tale of triumph against all the odds, revealing the challenges and sacrifices that go into creating a world-beating brand; it is also the story of how a small local business can transform itself, with the right products and the right vision, into something much, much bigger.

(recomendado por Rayde Luis Baez)


Who is Michael Ovitz? // Michael Ovitz

If you’re going to read one book about Hollywood, this is the one.

As co-founder of Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Michael Ovitz earned a reputation for ruthless negotiation, brilliant strategy and fierce loyalty to his clients. He reinvented the role of the agent and helped shape the careers of hundreds of A-list stars and directors, including Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Meryl Streep, Sean Connery, Steven Seagal, Bill Murray, Robin Williams and David Letterman.

But this personal history is much more than celebrity friendships and bare-knuckled deal-making. It’s an underdog’s story: How did a kid with no connections work his way into the William Morris mailroom, and become the most powerful person in Hollywood? How did a superagent also become a power in producing, advertising, mergers & acquisitions and modern art? And what were the personal consequences of all those deals?

After decades of near-silence in the face of intense controversy, Michael Ovitz is finally telling his whole story in this blistering, unforgettable memoir.

(Recomendado por Rayde Luis Baez)


Lebron, Inc. // Brian Windhorst

From the New York Times bestselling author of Return of the King comes the story of LeBron James’s incredible transformation from basketball star to sports and business mogul.
With eight straight trips to the NBA Finals, LeBron James has proven himself one of the greatest basketball players of all time. And like Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan before him, LeBron has also become a global brand and businessman who has altered the way professional athletes think about their value, maximize their leverage, and use their voice. 

LEBRON, INC tells the story of James’s journey down the path to becoming a billionaire sports icon — his successes, his failures, and the lessons both have taught him along the way. With plenty of newsmaking tidbits about his rollercoaster last season in Cleveland and high-profile move to the Lakers, LEBRON, INC. shows how James has changed the way most elite athletes manage their careers, and how he launched a movement among his peers that may last decades beyond his playing days.

(Recomendado por Rayde Luis Baez)


Athletes Are Brands, Too // Jeremy Darlow

The athlete’s guide to building a personal brand and a future beyond sports.

Athletes Are Brands Too teaches athletes at every level how to build a brand that can lead to success in life, regardless of what happens in their athletic career. One part road map, one part call to arms, this guide gives athletes the tools to build their influence, beat the odds, and leverage their athletic accomplishments well beyond sports.

(Recomendado por Rayde Luis Baez)


Sneakers Wars // Barbara Smit

Traces the fierce rivalry between brothers Adi and Rudi Dassler, who launched a successful shoe business from their mother’s laundry room in Germany before a bitter feud prompted their separation and launch of competitors Adidas and Puma. 25,000 first printing.

(Recomendado por Rayde Luis Baez)


Legado // James Kerr

Los campeones dan un poco más. Barren el vestuario. Siguen la punta de lanza. Mantienen la cabeza fría. Son buenos ancestros. En Legado, el exitoso autor James Kerr se sumerge con profundidad en el corazón del equipo deportivo más exitoso del mundo, los legendarios All Blacks de Nueva Zelanda, para revelar 15 potentes lecciones prácticas para el liderazgo y la empresa. Legado es un manual único e inspirador para líderes de todos los campos de actividad que pregunta ¿Cuáles son los secretos del éxito sostenido? ¿Cómo convertir la visión en acción? ¿Cómo se logra un nivel superior día tras día, semana tras semana, año tras año? ¿Cómo se maneja la presión? ¿Cómo entrenarse o capacitarse para ganar en el más alto nivel? ¿Qué dejamos atrás cuando nos vamos?

(Recomendado por Verónica Brunati)


What They Don’t Teach You At Harvard Business School // Mark H. McCormack

Mark McCormack, dubbed ‘the most powerful man in sport’, founded IMG (International Management Group) on a handshake. It was the first and is the most successful sports management company in the world, becoming a multi-million dollar, worldwide corporation whose activities in the business and marketing spheres are so diverse as to defy classification. 

Here, Mark McCormack reveals the secret of his success to key business issues such as analysing yourself and others, sales, negotiation, time management, decision-making and communication. What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School fills the gaps between a business school education and the street knowledge that comes from the day-to-day experience of running a business and managing people. It shares the business skills, techniques and wisdom gleaned from twenty-five years of experience.

(Recomendado por Enrique Uviedo)


Nacidos Para Correr // Christopher McDougall

Un relato fascinante que no solo conquistará tu mente sino que también inspirará tu cuerpo cuando descubras que el secreto de la felicidad está en tus pies y que todos hemos nacido para correr.

Repleto de personajes inolvidables, increíbles hazañas atléticas y ciencia de vanguardia, Nacidos para correr es una aventura épica que comienza con la simple pregunta: ¿por qué me duele el pie? Para encontrar una respuesta, Christopher McDougall nos lleva desde los laboratorios científicos de alta tecnología de Harvard hasta los sofocantes valles y los picos nevados donde cada vez más corredores llevan sus fuerzas al extremo.

Protegida por el terreno más abrupto de América del Norte, la misteriosa tribu de los tarahumara de las Barrancas del Cobre, en México, custodia un arte perdido. Durante siglos han desarrollado técnicas que les permiten correr cientos de kilómetros sin descanso, convirtiéndolos en los corredores de fondo más rápidos de todos los tiempos. Este talento, casi sobrehumano, convierte a los tarahumara en hombres serenos e inmunes a las enfermedades y a las tensiones de la vida moderna. Con la ayuda de Caballo Blanco, un curioso personaje que años atrás se internó en las salvajes barrancas para vivir entre ellos, el autor pudo desvelar los secretos de este pueblo mítico al tiempo que descubría al atleta que llevaba dentro, entrenándose para uno de los mayores retos de su vida: una carrera de ochenta kilómetros que enfrentaría a la tribu contra un extraño grupo de corredores.

(Recomendado por Enrique Uviedo)


How to think like Alex Ferguson // Damian Hughes

How to Think Like Sir Alex Ferguson is an insightful and interesting book packed with leadership ideas and real life examples taken from the cutting edge of sport that apply in leading any top team or business. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially those currently in leadership positions and those aspiring to get there, as Damian Hughes draws out the inspirational qualities required from one of the greatest managers in football.’

Stuart Lancaster, Former England Head Coach, Rugby Football Union

Delve deep into the mind of one of the world’s most successful leaders and discover 10 powerful and practical lessons for leadership and business, with this unique and inspiring handbook for anyone looking to improve performance in turbulent, changing times.

Distilling the primary lessons of Ferguson’s phenomenal success as manager at Manchester United and showing how you can apply them to you own personal goals, this book explains Ferguson’s approach to people-management, changing mind-sets, visualisation, building confidence and embracing change – all techniques at the heart of turning Manchester United into a winning machine.

Discover how he remained at the forefront of one of the world’s most competitive industries and how to make this count with your own ambition, as well as learning about the techniques he employed to extract the finest qualities from his team, and how to lead other individuals and teams in their pursuit of success within changing times.

(Recomendado por Jaime Domínguez)


Fútbol contra el enemigo // Simon Kuper

El fútbol no es solo el deporte más popular del mundo. Como dijo Bill Shankly, el mítico entrenador del Liverpool: “el fútbol no es una cuestión de vida o muerte; es mucho más importante que eso”. Y no le faltaba razón: durante años ha fraguado guerras, ha alimentado revoluciones e incluso ha contribuido a mantener a dictadores en el poder. Por algo se le conoce como “el deporte rey”. Simon Kuper viajó a veintidós países, de Argentina a Camerún, de Ucrania al Zaire, de Brasil a Sudáfrica, de Alemania o España, para investigar la poderosa influencia que el fútbol ejerce en la política, en la cultura y en la sociedad. El resultado, a medio camino entre un libro de viajes y un ensayo sociopolítico, es un fascinante y divertido relato de las complejas tramas ocultas de ambición y poder, de pasiones individuales y nacionales, de su historia y, cómo no, de la belleza del deporte más popular del mundo.

ELEGIDO EL MEJOR LIBRO SOBRE FÚTBOL POR LA REVISTA FOUR FOUR TWO GANADOR DEL WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR

(Recomendado por Jaime Domínguez)


Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court // John Wooden y Steve Jamison

«I am just a common man who is true to his beliefs.»–John Wooden 

Evoking days gone by when coaches were respected as much for their off-court performances as for their success on the court, Wooden presents the timeless wisdom of legendary basketball coach John Wooden.

In honest and telling passages about virtually every aspect of life, Coach shares his personal philosophy on family, achievement, success, and excellence. Raised on a small farm in south-central Indiana, he offers lessons and wisdom learned throughout his career at UCLA, and life as a dedicated husband, father, and teacher.

These lessons, along with personal letters from Bill Walton, Denny Crum, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bob Costas, among others, have made Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections on and off the Court an inspirational classic.

(Recomendado por Jaime Domínguez)