The Portuguese football manager profile football fans and managers’ perspectives

The football industry is worth billions and, even though most attention goes to players, football managers are a pivotal agent in turning sports results into financial success, since a team that presents poor performances is less likely to attract fan engagement and the financial benefits that come with it. Portugal is some how surprisingly an exporter of high quality football managers that have been excelling on the global stage, and, as such, it was pertinent to understand the root of their success. This exploratory study examines the perceptions of fans (12 interviews) and Portuguese football managers (10 interviews) themselves in a preliminary attempt to narrow down the key differentiators in these professionals. Results suggest that the main factors that distinguish Portuguese football managers are:(i) their adaptability, (ii) their way of relating and interacting with others and (iii) the Portuguese football culture.