Abstract
This research examines how Manchester City Football Club (MCFC) uses strategic
partnerships to advance sustainability goals, particularly focusing on fan engagement with ecofriendly merchandise initiatives. A mixed methods approach was used combining content
analysis of MCFC's sustainability reports with fan surveys. This study provides new insights
into the role of strategic partnerships to leverage corporate social responsibility in football.
Content analysis revealed 51 partnership contributions across eight sustainability goals, with
significant alignment to UN Sustainable Development Goals. Analysis of fan behavior using
the Theory of Planned Behaviour revealed that fan attitudes towards sustainable merchandise
were to an extent positive (4.21/7), social influence played a minimal role (2.97/7). Only 2%
of fans view MCFC partnership initiatives as entirely genuine. This research contributes to
literature by providing the first empirical application of TPB to eco-friendly football
merchandise The overall findings suggest that strategic partnerships are vital for advancing
sustainability goals, however the effectiveness on fan perceptions depends on addressing the
authenticity gap and strengthening fan engagement