The aim of this study was to present an optimization Pattern for Iranian football stadiums.
This research was fundamental in purpose and qualitative in approach, based on the grounded theory methodology with the systematic approach of Strauss and Corbin. Participants included experts, managers, and specialists in the field of sport management and sports infrastructure in Iran. The data collection tool was semi-structured interviews. To ensure the trustworthiness of the findings, the four criteria of Guba and Lincoln were applied. Data were analyzed through three stages: open, axial, and selective coding.
Open coding yielded 131 concepts and 25 subcategories. In axial coding, these categories were organized into a paradigmatic model, identifying "multidimensional optimization of Iranian football stadiums" as the core phenomenon. This phenomenon is influenced by causal conditions (including infrastructure and equipment degradation), set within contextual conditions (such as ownership structure and centralized governance), and shaped by intervening conditions (like international requirements and regulatory pressures, as well as legal gaps and the absence of a regulator). Selective coding results indicated that adopting strategies such as developing a national stadium optimization roadmap, fostering public-private partnership models, and implementing smart, data-driven management, can lead to outcomes such as economic sustainability, enhanced safety and spectator satisfaction, an improved national and international image, and sustainable urban and social development.
Overall, the findings highlight the need for a fundamental transformation in the managerial mindset and operation of Iranian football stadiums—a transformation requiring a shift from a short-term, project-based approach to a holistic, multidimensional, and strategic paradigm.