Publications
Publications
- September 2015 (Revised June 2017)
- HBS Case Collection
Futbol Club Barcelona
By: Anita Elberse
Abstract
In June 2015, FC Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu sees his team lift the UEFA Champions League trophy, completing an impressive trophy haul in the 2014-2015 season. Unique for a club of its caliber, five of the starting eleven are products of FC Barcelona's youth academy, La Masia. Yet none of the trophies and accolades guarantee future success. Bartomeu faces pressing questions about the club's business model—and in particular about the tensions between local and global activities—as well as decisions about the ongoing investment in the youth academy, funding for the club's Foundation and other sports, and its relatively low ticket prices. How could Barça continue to win on and off the field in the increasingly competitive and global world of European football, while still protecting its local focus and traditions?
Keywords
Superstar; Talent; Talent Development And Retention; Talent Management; Marketing; Strategy; General Management; Nonprofit; Marketing Strategy; Talent and Talent Management; Entertainment; Media; Competitive Advantage; Sports; Sports Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Barcelona
Citation
Elberse, Anita. "Futbol Club Barcelona." Harvard Business School Case 516-031, September 2015. (Revised June 2017.)