Historic clubs like Manchester United, FC Barcelona, and Juventus were founded on strong local, cultural, or class identities. They used symbols, colors, and narratives to create a powerful sense of belonging. For Web3 projects, clearly defining a unique identity, mission, and cultural foundation from the start is crucial to attract and unite early, like-minded participants. The century-long journey of football clubs has not been without its challenges.
What has enabled many long-established clubs to endure is often not wealthy owners, but the united community behind them. In football, there is a sacred trinity of players, coaches, and fans, and when crises strike, it is usually the ordinary people who consider the club a part of their lives who stand up to protect it. The Spirit of Shankly demonstrated how fan-led action can push for leadership changes and restore morale. Borussia Dortmund’s We Are Dortmund movement showed how large-scale fan support and shared sacrifice can save a club, with players taking pay cuts to endure hardship.
Barcelona and Real Madrid maintain membership-based governance with no shareholder dividends, and the 50+1 rule in Germany preserves fan and member control. Web3 projects can draw from these governance examples to involve communities in decision making and to create durable incentives during downturns. Web3 projects can model genuine community governance by using tokens or DAOs to empower users to participate in important proposals and to align long-term incentives with the project’s health. Token-based revenue-sharing or governance rights can resemble season-ticket style privileges for long-term holders, encouraging continued participation through bear markets.
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