Fan-participatory Governance in Chinese Professional Football Clubs: Pathways and Limitations

The professionalization of Chinese football is currently in a critical phase of reform. Effectively engaging fans in the governance of football clubs is not only a sustainable development approach worthy of exploration for Chinese professional football clubs but also a strategic response to market risks in professional football. Drawing on participatory governance theory, this study collaborates with Shaanxi United Football Club to analyze its practices, constructing an analytical framework for fan-participatory governance tailored to Chinese professional football clubs. The research identifies that fan-participatory club governance emerges and evolves through pathways rooted in fan identity, core fan mobilization, and club empowerment. Compared with traditional models, this approach not only mobilizes greater social resources for club development but also enhances the agency and initiative of these resources. However, three key contradictions impose limitations that may affect the practical efficacy of fan-participatory governance. Consequently, institutionalization can be adopted as a guiding principle to address these constraints. By refining relevant laws and regulations, establishing collaborative channels among government, market, and society, and standardizing participation platforms and procedures, fan-participatory governance can be more widely adopted as a viable direction for the governance of Chinese professional football clubs.