Social Issues in Sport Management
Seyyedeh Zahra Mirzamani; Shahram Shafiee; Mohammad Mahdi Rahmati
Abstract
Objective: This study aims to conduct a meta-synthesis of the mechanisms of corruption in Iranian football based on a sociological approach.Methodology: Employing a qualitative approach, this study followed Sandelowski and Barroso's (2007) meta-synthesis framework. Data were derived from 29 peer-reviewed ...
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Objective: This study aims to conduct a meta-synthesis of the mechanisms of corruption in Iranian football based on a sociological approach.Methodology: Employing a qualitative approach, this study followed Sandelowski and Barroso's (2007) meta-synthesis framework. Data were derived from 29 peer-reviewed scientific articles published between 2015 and 2025, identified through a systematic search of reputable Persian-language (n=23) and English-language (n=6) databases. Thematic coding was employed for data analysis.Results: Based on the data analysis, the mechanisms of corruption in sport were identified and classified into 63 initial codes, 21 sub-themes, and 6 overarching themes, including structural and governance deficiencies, an opaque and rentier economy, a corruption-prone culture and unhealthy norms, an inefficient legal and judicial system, informal and relationship-based networks, and international factors and globalization.Conclusion: In light of the findings, corruption in Iranian football stems from dysfunctional governance frameworks, a rent-seeking economy, and a culture of informal relations. Unless these deeply embedded institutional and cultural vicious cycles are rectified, intermittent and individual-level enforcement actions will prove futile. Lasting reform can only be achieved through institutional reconstruction, full transparency, and the substitution of informal patronage networks with genuine merit-based systems.
Sport Economics, Marketing and Tourism
Mohammad Amin Savari; Farzam Farzan; Mohammad Ehsani; Yong Jin Yoon
Abstract
Objective: This study investigated the emergence and persistence of corruption in Iran’s football industry. It aimed to identify the institutional, structural, and cultural determinants of systemic corruption, with the objective of developing a conceptual and strategic framework to enhance governance ...
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Objective: This study investigated the emergence and persistence of corruption in Iran’s football industry. It aimed to identify the institutional, structural, and cultural determinants of systemic corruption, with the objective of developing a conceptual and strategic framework to enhance governance in professional football.Methodology: A qualitative research design based on Glaserian Grounded Theory was adopted. Data were gathered through thirteen in-depth, semi-structured interviews with football specialists and key informants from Iran, the United States, Italy, Australia, Qatar, and Iraq. The analytical process involved open, selective, and theoretical coding, conducted using MAXQDA 2024. The resulting conceptual model was developed in accordance with Glaser’s 6C framework, which includes Causes, Contexts, Conditions, Covariance, Contingency, and Consequences.Results: The findings demonstrated that corruption within Iran’s football industry is deeply rooted and structurally embedded. Key contributing factors included weak institutional governance, political influence, opaque economic practices, a cultural tolerance for corruption, ineffective monitoring systems, and dysfunction within the judicial apparatus. The central phenomenon identified was systemic corruption in the governance of football. Ten overarching themes were incorporated into the final conceptual model, capturing the complexity and multi-layered nature of the issue.Conclusion: Addressing corruption in football requires comprehensive institutional reform, the establishment of independent oversight bodies, the deployment of transparency-enhancing technologies, the promotion of integrity-driven values, and the consistent enforcement of legal and regulatory frameworks. The conceptual model developed in this study provides a strategic foundation for policymakers and football administrators, particularly in contexts marked by fragile governance systems.
