Designing a Native Model of Factors Affecting Spectators’ Reattendance Intention in Iraqi Football: A Thematic Analysis and Fuzzy Delphi Approach
Keywords:
Re-visit intention, football spectators, football stadiums, theme analysis, fuzzy Delphi, IraqAbstract
This study aimed to design and validate a context-specific model of factors affecting spectators’ reattendance intention at football stadiums in Iraq. This qualitative study was conducted within an interpretive paradigm using thematic analysis to develop the model and the fuzzy Delphi technique to validate it. The study population comprised senior football club managers, sport management academics, and experts from the Iraqi Football Federation. Fifteen experts were selected through purposive and snowball sampling until theoretical saturation was achieved. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews lasting approximately 45–90 minutes and analyzed using the six-stage thematic analysis procedure. Subsequently, the extracted model was evaluated through two rounds of fuzzy Delphi involving eight experts. Content validity was examined using the Content Validity Ratio (CVR) and Content Validity Index (CVI), while inter-coder agreement, expert review, process documentation, and independent code review were applied to enhance qualitative reliability. The thematic analysis yielded 73 initial codes, 15 components, and four major dimensions: stadium infrastructural and environmental factors; team-related factors and match attractiveness; psychological, social, and cultural factors; and economic, managerial, and structural factors. During the first fuzzy Delphi round, three items scoring below 0.70 were eliminated. In the second round, expert agreement exceeded 70% for all retained components and items, while the difference in expert judgments between the two rounds fell below 0.20, indicating satisfactory consensus. Furthermore, CVR values for all retained items exceeded 0.49 and CVI values were above 0.70, confirming the content validity of the final model. Spectators’ reattendance intention in Iraqi football is a multidimensional and context-dependent phenomenon shaped by the simultaneous interaction of infrastructural, team-related, psychological-social, cultural, economic, and managerial factors. The validated native model therefore provides an integrated framework for Iraqi football clubs, federation authorities, and sports policymakers to develop targeted strategies for increasing stadium attendance and strengthening spectator loyalty.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Rasim Abdulhussein Sadkhan Alsarkhi (Author); Yaghoub Badri Azarin; Mohammad Rasoul Khodadadi (Author)

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