Industry update: more on mobility, fan experience and SLOs

Read more on Eintracht Frankfurt’s disabled fans mobility service, an SLO project supported by UEFA, fan experience at FC Barcelona and more in ESSMA’s weekly industry update.

Fan Experience & Hospitality

• Eintracht Frankfurt will offer fans with reduced mobility a free service that picks them up at their house and drops them off after the match. The club will launch the free transfer service on 17 February, when they play against Borussia Mönchengladbach. 
• FC Barcelona gives fans a unique matchday opportunity as fans can visit the areas reserved for players, VIPs, and the media, as well as the pitch prior to the match. The tour gives visitors insights into the matchday preparations, with prices starting at €89.  

Safety & Security

• A Swedish delegation visited Olympique Lyonnais as part of the LIAISE project, a project supported by UEFA to improve the impact of Supporter Liaison Officers (SLOs). The delegation comprised of members of the Swedish Football League, the Swedish Football Support Union and SLO representatives of Djurgårdens IF, IFK Göteborg and IFK Norrköping. French SLOs shared insights on how they coordinate on matchdays and engage in a continuous dialogue with their fans. 

Development & Construction

• Real Valladolid published a masterplan which consists of three long-term projects:
  • Increasing the stadium experience by upgrading the F&B kiosks, mobility to and around the stadium and enhancing the fan experience before the match
  • Eliminating the gap between the stands and the pitch, which will result in a capacity increase of 4000 to 5000 seats
  • Optimising the current revenue streams regarding stadium tours and branding as well as and finding new revenue streams

General News

• DFL published its 2019 Economic Report with results from all Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 clubs. With a total revenue of €4.42 billion, the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 increased their cumulative revenue. In the past ten years, there has been seen an average annual growth of 8.6 per cent.
• The Original Inspiration Centre by LaLiga opened the call for the 2019 Startup Competition. This project, in coordination with the Global Sports Innovation Center (GSIC), seeks to create an innovation platform where innovators and start-ups in a growth stage can bring forward ground-breaking ideas and technical services for football fans. All concepts and solutions should be linked to media, performance, smart venue or fan engagement.

• Canada Soccer has unveiled its 2019-2021 Strategic Plan, to continue to build on the organisation’s domestic and international achievements and the opportunity to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup™. The Canada Soccer Nation: 2019-2021 Strategic Plan outlines the organisation’s three key priorities: to develop, govern and grow the game in Canada.