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Multi-club networks in women’s soccer: reproducing hierarchies under the promise of integration

By Jean-Michel De Waele & Jonathan Ferreira

ÉDITION

Routledge

COLLECTION

Soccer & Society

LIEN

Taylor&Francis Online

Abstract

This article investigates the expansion of Multi-Club Ownership (MCO) models into women’s soccer by examining how women’s teams are integrated into broader networks traditionally structured around men’s clubs. Drawing on data from the 2024/2025 season and cross-referenced by the Social Observatory of Football (Observatório Social do Futebol – UERJ), the study focuses on the most prominent MCO networks, selected according to defined methodological criteria. It applies Bayle’s typology of integration (Mixed, Collaborative, and Independent) to identify distinct patterns of how women’s teams are incorporated. While most cases reveal structural subordination or symbolic alignment, a few pioneering initiatives, such as Kynisca Sports International and Mercury/13, illustrate alternative models led by women or designed with gender-specific strategies. This typological lens contributes to a more precise understanding of the varying degrees of autonomy and control within Multi-Club Networks.

Mis à jour le 8 janvier 2026