The 2022 edition of the European Academy of Management (EURAM) Conference, under the sign of digital transformation, grouped again sport management enthusiasts on site at the ZHAW School of Management and Lawthe new beginning of the old conference format after being online in previous years. Thanks to the small but integrated community of sport management, we had an opportunity to exchange new ideas in sport management and its transformation.The collection of the best seven submitted papers during EURAM offers a comprehensive exploration into various facets of the sports industry, ranging from fan identification and revenue structures in European football leagues to workplace physical activity programs and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sustainable sports management. Each paper contributes valuable insights to its respective field, providing a rich tapestry of knowledge within the sports industry.We open an issue with authors awarded the Best Paper Award for 2022 that is traditionally handed out at the annual meeting of EURAM in the Managing Sport SIG: "Decrypting the Specifics of Professional Football Club Investments: Why? What? How? An Integrative Review". Conducting an integrative review of equity investments in professional football clubs, this paper analyzes the motives, roles and implications of football club investors. The outcomes unveil a significant dichotomy in investment motives within football clubs. Private investors predominantly pursue indirect benefits like influence, publicity, cross-selling opportunities and network-building, surpassing mere financial gains. In contrast, emotionally-driven fan investors prioritize preserving the club's traditional heritage over profitability. This paradox prompts essential inquiries into the fundamental intentions behind football club investments. For private investors, the high financial risks and limited upside suggest motives beyond financial gains, while fan investors prioritize influence, highlighting a deep-rooted connection to the club's legacy. The authors developed research about the intentions and expected benefits of a chosen group of stakeholders, which are strongly diversified in the football industry (Perechuda and Cater, 2022). Stakeholder heterogeneity is one of the main issues regarding the performance assessment of the clubs (Plumley et al., 2017). The paper calls for further research on investors' characteristics, investor-club pairings and long-term strategies, contributing to a nuanced understanding of the unique specifics of football club investments.The second article of this special issue is about another key stakeholder: "Fan Identification in Football: Professional Football Players and Clubs Competing for Fan Loyalty." Examining the evolving landscape of fan identification in football, this paper sheds light on the intricate relationships between fans, their favorite teams and players. Notably, team identification emerges as a stronger factor than player identification, with significant implications, particularly in the contex...