TY - RPRT U1 - Arbeitspapier A1 - Zülch, Henning A1 - Cruz, Jacqueline Marie A1 - Kirsch, Benedikt T1 - How is sustainability concerning ESG considered and assessed in German professional football? T2 - HHL Working paper N2 - The German Football League (Deutsche Fußball Liga) officially prioritized sustainability, in terms of ecological, social, and governance, in early 2021, proving the topic should permeate club strategy and be used as an underlying approach for added value and competitive advantage. Starting from the league and club levels, the status quo of sustainability implementation is examined. Next, the correlation between competitive advantage for professional football clubs and sustainability procedures is presented. Based on the literature analysis, a new 5-step Sustainability Development Phase established a concrete plan and direction for clubs for easier application of sustainability measures. With the vast gap between receiving a certified sustainable rating and implementation of sustainable approaches in the Bundesliga, the 5-step Sustainability Development Phase provides a simple framework for clubs to follow from Contributing, Tracking, Reporting, and Certifying. T3 - HHL-Arbeitspapier / HHL Working paper - 195 Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:101:1-2021122014385173810420 UN - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:101:1-2021122014385173810420 SP - 53 S1 - 53 PB - HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management CY - Leipzig ER -