Henning Zülch, Jacqueline Marie Cruz, Benedikt Kirsch

• 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.