The Model of the Role of Team and Communication Quality on the Behavioral Attachment of Fans of Iraqi Premier League Football Clubs: the Mediating Role of Emotional Satisfaction and Perceived Talue

Subject Areas :

Ahmed Saad Vali Almaleji ¹ , Seyed Ehsan Amirhosseini ² , Riaad Noori Abbas ³ , davood nasr esfahani ⁴

1 - PhD student in sports management, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Isfahan Branch (Khorasgan), Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.
2 - Department of sport sciences, Yas.C., Islamic Azad University, Yasuj, Iran
3 - Assistant Profesor IN sports management, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Isfahan Branch (Khorasgan), Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.
4 - Department of sport management, Isf.C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran

Received: 2024-10-20 Accepted : 2025-02-16 Published : 2025-09-23

Keywords: Team Quality, Communication Quality, Football Fan Attachment, Emotional Satisfaction, Perceived Talue,

Abstract :

Extended Abstract

Introduction

In spectator sport, winning on the field is no longer sufficient to secure repeat attendance and advocacy. Fans evaluate the quality of the team and the relationship they maintain with the club, and these evaluations often work through affective mechanisms to shape downstream behaviors. Building on sport marketing and relationship marketing theory, this study proposes and tests a structural model linking team quality and relationship quality to behavioral intentions via emotional satisfaction, with perceived value specified as a boundary condition. The study aimed to (1) examine the direct effects of perceived team quality and relationship quality on emotional satisfaction and fan attachment; (2) test the mediating role of emotional satisfaction in explaining behavioral intentions (e.g., positive word-of-mouth, intention to revisit, and recommendation); and (3) assess whether perceived value strengthens the link between team quality and emotional satisfaction. 

Methodology

A cross-sectional survey was administered to active spectators of professional football matches in Iraq. After screening, 387 valid responses were retained for analysis. Established multi-item scales were adapted from prior sport and services research to measure team quality, relationship quality, emotional satisfaction, perceived value, fan attachment, and behavioral intentions. Data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to assess the measurement properties (reliability, convergent and discriminant validity) and to test the structural paths, mediation, and moderation. 

Results

Results indicate that both perceived team quality and relationship quality positively influence key affective and relational outcomes in the fan–club dyad. Team quality exerts significant positive effects on emotional satisfaction and fan attachment, whereas relationship quality shows a strong positive effect on attachment. Emotional satisfaction, in turn, significantly predicts behavioral intentions, providing evidence of (at least) partial mediation between team quality and behavioral intentions. The interaction analysis further reveals that perceived value amplifies the impact of team quality on emotional satisfaction: when fans perceive higher value from their match experience, the link between team performance/quality cues and positive emotions becomes stronger. Overall, the model demonstrates acceptable explanatory and predictive power, with reliability coefficients above recommended thresholds and satisfactory validity diagnostics. 

Discussion and Conclusion

The findings underscore the importance of managing both core product cues (team quality) and relational touchpoints (relationship quality) to foster fans’ emotional satisfaction and attachment—drivers of revisit, recommendation, and advocacy. Strategically enhancing perceived value (through pricing fairness, service bundles, and in-stadium experience design) can magnify the emotional payoff fans derive from on-field quality. Clubs and league organizers should coordinate performance communication, value framing, and service delivery to cultivate durable, emotion-laden bonds that translate into sustained behavioral intentions. 

Keywords: Team Quality, Communication Quality, Football Fan Attachment, Emotional Satisfaction, Perceived Talue

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