Sports Management Podcast

Release Date: 02-09-2026 00:30

Welcome to episode 230 of Sports Management Podcast.

Today's guest has lived football from every angle - player, coach, owner, executive, and advisor.
Matt Driver is the founder of Soccer Universities and Football Club Advisory Group, and he's worked across Europe and the U.S. helping clubs move from survival mode to scalable success.


In this episode, we talk about:

  • Why most soccer clubs struggle financially
  • What American sports get right that football often ignores
  • How fan engagement, data, and commercial thinking will define the future of the game

And much more! This is a masterclass in the business of football.

SPONSOR:

Listeners of the Sports Management Podcast get an exclusive 20% off on SportsPro+ with the code SMPOD20. All you need to do is head to sportspro.com/membership and start exploring today.

Time stamps:

00:00 Intro
01:38 Why College Soccer Doesn't Create Pros
03:18 The Wake-Up Call Playing La Liga Clubs
05:30 Creating Real Player Pathways
08:10 Why Most Clubs Are Structurally Broken
11:13 A Bulgarian Club Case Study
15:09 Why Vertical Silos Kill Clubs
16:41 What American Sports Get Right
18:30 Why Fans Jump Between Sports
20:08 Why "We've Always Done It This Way" Fails
26:21 Turning Fan Phones Into Revenue
30:23 Monetizing Club Assets
35:47 Why Fans Must Be Entertained
55:26 Career Advice for Sports Professionals
01:05:54 Why the USL Could Explode Next
01:10:00 Outro

Follow Sports Management Podcast on social media

Instagram
Twitter
LinkedIn
YouTube

www.sportsmanagementpodcast.com