A Sociological Model of Social Capital in Football Players with a Professional Ethics Approach for the Development and Success of Iranian Football

Background and Purpose
In recent years, a substantial body of research has focused on professional ethics and social capital within the domain of sports. However, few studies have simultaneously examined these two constructs, despite the fact that, according to experts, social capital constitutes a form of public good. Given its inherently positive nature and beneficial functions, it appears that professional ethics could serve as a facilitating mechanism for social capital. In a world where moral virtues are increasingly diminishing and individuals are often reduced to mere instruments for material gain, social capital risks being eroded. Therefore, it is imperative to approach the concept of social capital through the lens of ethics. Football players represent valuable social capital; by strengthening their professional ethics, it is possible to achieve constructive social outcomes. Moreover, within the sporting context, such ethical reinforcement can lead to significant achievements, including the growth and development of national football. Accordingly, this study aims to present a sociological model of football players’ social capital, grounded in a professional ethics perspective, to promote the expansion and success of Iranian football.
 
Materials and Methods
This research was conducted with a foundational approach, aimed at developing a sociological model of football players’ social capital through the prism of professional ethics to foster the growth and success of football in Iran. The study employed a descriptive-survey methodology for data collection. To achieve the research objectives, an exploratory mixed-methods design was utilized. The study was carried out over a one-year period, from February 2023 to March 2024, thus constituting a cross-sectional survey study.
The qualitative component involved theoretical experts, including university professors, football experts, and veterans within the Iranian football community. Participants were selected based on five key criteria: centrality to the field, prominence, theoretical knowledge, diversity, and motivation to participate. Consequently, well-known, reputable, and knowledgeable physical education professors and football veterans with postgraduate qualifications and a keen interest in contributing to the study were purposively sampled. Data saturation was reached after conducting 35 semi-structured interviews.
The quantitative segment targeted football veterans, referees, coaches, football analysts, and players from the premier league. Sample size was determined using power analysis, estimating a minimum of 155 participants to achieve 80% statistical power at a 95% confidence level with an effect size of 0.15. Stratified random sampling was employed, with strata including premier league players, veteran footballers, coaches, referees, and sports activists.
Data collection tools included semi-structured interviews for the qualitative phase and a researcher-developed questionnaire for the quantitative phase. Semi-structured interviews were deemed appropriate for exploratory qualitative research aimed at model design. Qualitative data were analyzed using grounded theory methodology via MaxQDA software. Quantitative data analysis was conducted using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS software.
 
Findings
The qualitative analysis revealed the key constructs of the sociological model of football players’ social capital, framed within a professional ethics approach, as follows: contextual conditions (social foundations); causal conditions (club culture-building, player empowerment, and supervision of official matches and the premier league); intervening conditions (players’ mental concerns and material issues); the core phenomenon (football players’ social capital); strategies (professional ethics); and consequences (growth and success of football in the country).
Indicators of football players’ social capital included: fostering trust among team members; responsibility and conscientiousness; participation in achieving team goals; adherence to social norms and values; respect for opposing team members; prioritizing team interests alongside personal interests; enhancing cooperation and empathy within the team; non-discrimination among players by coaches and club officials; and maintaining team cohesion.
Empowerment of players, club culture-building, and monitoring of official competitions emerged as causal factors influencing players’ social capital. Social capital, in turn, was found to impact professional ethics, with social foundations providing the necessary environment for this relationship. Additionally, players’ mental concerns and financial problems acted as intervening factors affecting professional ethics. Ultimately, professional ethics significantly influenced the growth and success of football nationally.
Quantitative validation of the model demonstrated that the path coefficient from football players’ social capital to professional ethics was estimated at 0.299 (t = 2.563, p = 0.011), indicating a positive and significant effect of social capital on professional ethics. Furthermore, the path coefficient from professional ethics to football growth and success was 0.833 (t = 37.1, p < 0.001), confirming the substantial influence of professional ethics on football development.
Other path coefficients similarly indicated the strength and direction of relationships, all statistically significant with t-values exceeding 1.96. The coefficient of determination (R²) for football players’ social capital was 0.826, for professional ethics 0.844, and for football growth and success 0.694, reflecting a robust explanatory power of the model variables. This suggests that the model accounts for approximately 69% of the variance in football growth and success in Iran.
Model fit indices further confirmed the adequacy of the model: the Goodness of Fit (GOF) index was 0.599, exceeding the threshold of 0.36; RMS_theta was 0.098, below the acceptable limit of 0.12; and the Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR) was 0.064, well under the cutoff of 0.08. These indices collectively indicate a well-fitting model.
 
Conclusion
This study successfully proposed a sociological model of football players’ social capital, viewed through the lens of professional ethics, aimed at enhancing the expansion and success of Iranian football. It is important to acknowledge that paradoxes stemming from the misalignment between economic, social, and cultural capital manifest in outcomes that contravene accepted social norms and community values. The unethical behaviors observed in the sports community, particularly within football, are symptomatic of this gap and imbalance. In other words, fostering ethical conduct and promoting moral virtues among football players necessitates a fundamental reassessment grounded in social capital theories.
Cultivating a culture of ethics within football clubs and implementing regulatory frameworks to uphold and safeguard sportsmanship ethics can serve as effective solutions to address the existing discrepancies. Based on the study’s findings, it is recommended that clubs prioritize culture-building initiatives and provide foundational education to players regarding adherence to rules, regulations, and the importance of commitment to ethical beliefs from the earliest stages of their careers.