The unveiling and discussion session for the book The Barcelona Way, published and released by Divar Publishing in March 2024, was finally held. The event took place on August 6, 2024, at Cheshmeh Kargar Bookstore, attended by a group of book enthusiasts, Hamid Alidoosti, former Iranian national football team player and Homa club member, Mohammad Hassan ShahrMiani, senior manager of Rahnema College, Sina Dadkhah (the author and host of the program), and Vahid Namazi.
At the start of the program, Alidoosti who was one of the most prominent strikers in the history of Iranian football and also has outstanding studies in the field of music, expressed his delight at the publication of this work, which focuses on organizational culture and success, stating: “The reason for my presence is that wherever a step is taken to promote culture and books, I want to be there and take a small step toward introducing and spreading the culture of reading. I have thoroughly read this book and enjoyed it. The connection Damian Hughes establishes between organizational culture and football is highly engaging, and Vahid Namazi’s fluent translation has made the reading experience even more enjoyable. Looking at this book through my own lived experience in the world of football, I want to say that the presence of key elements like respect, collaboration, and responsibility in a phenomenon like football can create a victorious culture and a strong organization. This is something that applies not only to football but also to business, as we see examples of it in the compelling text of this book.”
Recalling his experiences playing football in Germany and facing Jürgen Klopp, Alidoosti highlighted Klopp’s model of organizational culture at Dortmund, discussed the importance of various club culture models, and ultimately focused on Barcelona’s “commitment-driven” model, elaborating on the club’s slogan, “More than a club.”
Next, Mohammad Hassan ShahrMiani, whose institute provides practical skills training for those seeking to join the job market, emphasized the importance of organizational culture for success in various economic, sports, and other teams. He said: “This is exactly what is lacking in our country. The daily challenges and numerous issues faced by large and small commercial organizations in Iran over the past few decades have led to neglect of this fundamental factor in organizational growth.”
He also praised Vahid Namazi’s insightful choice in translating The Barcelona Way, stating: “The path Vahid has taken in translating various works is marked by intelligence and deliberate choices. Addressing a significant phenomenon like football and illustrating its impact and connection to social, political, and cultural phenomena, as well as personal and commercial development, shows that Namazi, drawing on the informed insight derived from his journalism background, is purposefully moving toward translating compelling works related to football and society.”
Hosted by Sina Dadkhah, the session also featured Vahid Namazi, who spoke at length about The Barcelona Way and other works by Professor Damian Hughes. He highlighted various sections of the book, the author’s beautiful and intelligent references to football, and Hughes’ ability to connect football, business, and organizational culture. Namazi emphasized that football, as a meta-phenomenon, can serve as a bridge and conduit between different phenomena. Due to its universal appeal, it has the potential to view critical topics such as organizational culture, commercial success, and social transformation through the lens of this meta-phenomenon and extend it to other areas.
