The thesis delves into the existing sustainability landscape within professional football, looking at best practices, analysing the Swiss Football League (SFL) sustainability requirements and providing actionable recommendations tailored to FC Lugano, as the club is required to have a sustainability strategy in order to receive an official UEFA licence in the future.

The work is divided into a research part, in which existing literature was analysed and the most important topics and examples in the areas of ESG in general and the sports world were explained. Based on the findings, we then looked at and analysed the status quo of FC Lugano and the SFL. From this analysis, we identified suggestions for improvement and possible partners for FC Lugano when implementing a ESG strategy.

The analysis revealed that FC Lugano has not yet implemented any conscious sustainability efforts. ESG must be integrated into FC Lugano's corporate strategy, taking into account the entire stakeholder and value chain. We have identified 10 key goals, that FC Lugano can focus on to align with the sustainability requirements of UEFA and SFL. FC Lugano has good prerequisites and many opportunities to carry out various sustainability campaigns and adjustments. It is worth mentioning that FC Lugano has an extremely wide range of opportunities to give something back to society, especially in the social part. FC Lugano can also approach the city of Lugano and Tourism Ticino, which are interested in a sustainable FC Lugano and would support the club in this endeavour. The project emphasizes the importance of ongoing assessment and adaptation of the ESG strategy. By following the outlined recommendations, FC Lugano can set a benchmark for sustainability in sports and inspire positive change across the football community.