Comparative Analysis of Financial Support for Professional Football Clubs in Iran and the English Premier League

Introduction: The aim of the research was to conduct a comparative analysis of the content and trends of financial support models in professional football clubs in Iran and the English Premier League.
Methods: The nature of the research was descriptive-analytical, carried out through content analysis and quantitative trends of financial support in the Premier Leagues of Iran and England. Data were collected and examined through library research by studying financial reports and data from the Transfermarkt website, and descriptive statistics and Excel software were used for analysis.
Results: The English Premier League is dynamic and has diverse revenue-generating financial sponsors, while the Iranian Premier League, according to descriptive statistics, is disorganized, with most support coming from state-owned companies and primary industries (8 industries). The most popular supporting industry in English football is aviation and betting, whereas in Iran, it is the steel and automotive industries. The highest presence and stability of support in Iranian football comes from the steel industry, while in England, it comes from the aviation, finance, and banking industries. It is worth noting that the support sectors in Iranian football have a strong dependency on the government, while in English football, there is a complete presence of the private sector.
Conclusion: By facilitating the presence of the private sector and strengthening businesses and industries related to sports and football, it is possible to create a diverse presence of businesses and sponsors, ensuring both dynamism and stability of financial support.