Jacqueline Marie Cruz

• Germany’s national league, the Bundesliga (BL), has been a global forerunner almost since its establishment in 1963 (Grabowski, 2018). Yet, even with historical attendance rates and annual record-breaking revenues, football is currently at a tipping point. To make positive contributions to society, long-term mindsets, and entrepreneurial orientation (EO) (Hammerschmidt et al., 2020) are key, which pushes football clubs to transform into football companies (FCs) (Zülch, 2020) or sport business clubs (SBCs) (Jovanov, 2021). Accordingly, this Dissertation proposes theory, qualitative research, and quantitative analysis relating to four main themes: club success factors, management framework robustness, sustainability management, and professional football benchmarks. Combining theoretical underpinnings and practical understanding strengthened the relevance and reliability of the research, further giving the findings robust application to the current environment and outlook of professional football management in Germany, Europe, and beyond.