MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION: THE "GAMES" BEYOND THE MATCH IN PORTUGUESE FOOTBALL

Purpose: Analyzing the relationship between communication and media with football, the goal is to identify the "games" beyond the game on the playing field and explore how these "games" arise and characterize themselves, according to relevant actors in the football and media fields, as well as to understand, from the perspective of the interviewees, if and how these "games" can influence the match. Methodology/approach: This is a qualitative study of exploratory nature. Starting from the most significant literature review and documentary analysis, in-depth interviews were carried out with relevant actors in the football phenomenon, which were subsequently subjected to content analysis, through meaning cores and thematic categorical analysis. Originality/Relevance: : Despite the social and media centrality that football holds in Portugal, this is not proportionally reflected in the studies carried out so far. This study will therefore contribute to the knowledge of an academic area that is still underexplored. Main Results: The idea of "games" is organized around three pillars: the influence and power of "Media and Communication"; the magnitude of football, the "King Sport"; and sporting integrity, "Sporting Truth". This article focuses on "Media and Communication", with the results indicating a greater professionalization of clubs, leveraged by digitalization and attempts to condition the game in the media space, but without evidence of its effectiveness. The hypothesis that intrinsic characteristics of referees or players may, even if unconsciously, be susceptible to conditioning their performance in a match is admitted. Theoretical/methodological contributions: It contributes to future studies by identifying of several dimensions that can influence the perception of the game and the football as a multidimensional