Izvorni znanstveni članak
Sports communication in Croatian football clubs: a comparative analysis of NK Slaven Belupo, NK Varaždin, and NK Osijek in the context of contemporary sports public relations
Zoran Tomić
; Filozofski fakultet, Sveučilište u Mostaru, Bosna i Hercegovina
*
Mario Tomiša
; Sveučilište Sjever, Koprivnica
*
Ivan E. Tomić
; Filozofski fakultet, Sveučilište u Mostaru, Bosna i Hercegovina
* Dopisni autor.
Sažetak
Football, as the most influential sporting and cultural phenomenon of contemporary society, represents one of the key communication spheres in which the interests of fans, local communities, media, sponsors, and institutions intersect. A modern football club functions as a complex communication system in which sporting, economic, political, and social dimensions intertwine, requiring a professionalized, strategic, and systematically managed approach to public relations. The analysis of communication practices at NK Slaven Belupo, NK Varaždin, and NK Osijek shows that Croatian clubs still predominantly rely on operational, informational, and one-way communication models, with underdeveloped digital strategies, limited video production, sporadic CSR activities, and the absence of formalized crisis communication procedures. A comparison with European clubs that represent different communication paradigms—Borussia Dortmund (community-driven model), FC Barcelona (digital and multimedia model), and Brentford FC (authentic, data-driven model)—confirms that Croatian clubs lack an integrated communication framework capable of connecting public relations theory with the operational realities and resource constraints of the national football environment. In response to these challenges, this study introduces the Triangular Sports Communication Model (TSK Model). This new and original three-dimensional theoretical–applied framework integrates: (1) participatory and two-way communication with stakeholders, (2) digital and multimedia integration, and (3) community identity and social responsibility. The model operationalizes modern communication demands through six mechanisms—dialogue, integration, narrative, responsibility, crisis response, and transparency—enabling clubs to transform communication from a purely informational function into a strategic developmental resource. The Triangular Sports Communication Model thus represents a significant contribution to the field of sports communication and public relations, offering a systematic, empirically grounded, and contextually adapted approach that can serve as a foundation for modernizing the communication policies of Croatian football clubs and for further scientific research in this area.
Ključne riječi
sports public relations; football clubs; Triangular Sports Communication Model; strategic communication; digital integration; participatory communication; CSR; crisis communication; community relations; sports PR
Hrčak ID:
350985
URI
Datum izdavanja:
25.6.2026.
Posjeta: 0 *