Breaking into the big league: How SMEs can score with football clubs

SMEs have a shot at winning more business from football clubs, new research shows. How do they make sure they hit the back of the net?

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Introduction
What has held SMEs back?
Impressing off the pitch
Proving by doing

Introduction

Every aspiring young player knows that making it in the world of professional football is a long shot. But when it comes to the business of football, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have every chance. New research suggests many football clubs are actively seeking to work with smaller suppliers. Those that can prove they have what it takes have every chance of making the team.

The game has only just begun. At the beginning of 2025, fewer than half of football clubs say SMEs account for at least three in 10 of their suppliers, according to a survey of more than 100 European clubs conducted by FedEx and the Financial Times. However, 85% of these clubs aspire to reach this level of SME involvement within the next three years.

What has held SMEs back?

A range of factors has influenced SMEs’ relatively low penetration rate of football clubs’ supply chains. The biggest concern, the FedEx/Financial Times research suggests, is bandwidth: 85% of clubs are concerned that SMEs may lack the capacity and scale required to service an ambitious, growing club.

Another reservation held by 62% of clubs is that SMEs may lack financial stability. In other words, clubs are concerned that an SME partner may not survive long enough to become a dependable key supplier. Potentially limited product and service offerings are a worry for 36% of clubs in the research.

But the FedEx/Financial Times research suggests that these barriers are far from insurmountable, and that SME suppliers able to provide assurance on these issues can secure new business. And, if it was a gamble for the clubs, it is paying off: 45% say their smaller suppliers have significantly outperformed expectations, while just 3% say the same of larger suppliers.

Impressing off the pitch

Roger Hampel, a sports business consultant and founder of Football Business Journal, says SMEs must work hard to sell themselves to clubs. “It’s all about establishing your credibility,” he says. “It’s crucial to be [visible] in the industry – to be at the big events such as the World Football Summit and Soccerex, and to be ready to sell the business directly with a compelling pitch.” Like young players, SMEs must catch the eye of the business talent scouts.

In practice, there are multiple opportunities for SMEs to impress, says Matt Cairns, founder and CEO of branding specialist Eleven Sports Media. “If you can solve a problem for a sports team, whether that is at the business operations level or the playing level, you've got the makings of a strong business model.”

Cairns’ advice to SMEs is to start small, honing their value proposition before targeting a big club. “Go slow and concentrate on the quality of the work,” he says. “There are plenty of clubs in need of help, so, if you can prove your quality, the business will grow naturally.”

Patrick Fischer, CEO of Berlin-headquartered digital platform OneFootball, also believes that targeting smaller clubs first is a way for SMEs to build an impressive track record that they can then put in front of the big spenders.

“It may be that you need to pivot to find exactly the right business model,” he suggests. “Start by testing in an asset-light environment, with smaller clubs or in smaller markets, and then roll out the proposition once you can point to the experience of how it works.”

Start by testing in an asset-light environment, with smaller clubs or in smaller markets, and then roll out the proposition once you can point to the experience of how it works.

Patrick Fischer
CEO, OneFootball

Proving by doing

This approach could help SMEs directly address the concerns that the FedEx/Financial Times research highlights, reassuring large clubs that they can scale their operations in a sensible, financially secure manner.

OneFootball developed a pay-per-view model for streaming football broadcasts in Germany, before moving on to territories with more lucrative broadcasting contracts. “As we show that pay-per-view is working in Germany, we can grow internationally,” Fischer says. “But we’re not going to have a global approach from the start; it’s important for SMEs to stay focused.”

SMEs also need to demonstrate that they can meet client expectations when it comes to delivering physical goods internationally. “Entering new markets and connecting with new clubs and customers in international football competitions represents significant growth potential for SMEs,” explains Dan Vines, Senior Vice President Sales at FedEx Europe. “To take advantage of these opportunities, it is important to partner with organizations that offer a robust global infrastructure. In addition, a seamless and straightforward experience, an efficient supply chain and a thorough understanding of local market requirements are critical."

Similarly, Victoire Cogevina, co-CEO of Mercury 13, an investment group focused on women's football, argues that SMEs will be in a stronger position if they offer a new approach to an old problem, or target emerging areas of the market, as her business did.

“The women's game is much more accessible to smaller businesses,” Cogevina says. “It’s at an earlier stage with much less to lose, which means people are much more open-minded about trying new technologies and innovations that enable them to improve on the old ways of running football clubs.”

It’s a critical point. In the FedEx/Financial Times research, 71% of clubs that already work with SMEs say these suppliers deliver “significant value”. By establishing small-scale success stories, SMEs can alleviate the concerns of bigger clubs about their capacity and viability. And once you’ve won the confidence of the big names, the sky really is the limit.