1. Warm-up: Music Meets Football
Think – Pair – Share
Discuss these questions with a partner. Use your own opinions and ideas.
- 💬 Why do modern brands and football clubs collaborate with famous pop singers?
- 💬 Can music make a football club more popular globally? How?
- 💬 Would you pay extra to buy a special edition football shirt with a singer's logo on it?
- 💬 Is combining sports and music a good marketing strategy, or does it ruin tradition?
2. Vocabulary: Media, Marketing & Football
Study these 15 key words and phrases before reading the article.
Activity A: Match the Definition
Select the correct word for each definition.
Activity B: Complete the Sentences
Type the correct word from the list into the gaps.
Activity C: Word Families
Complete the table with the correct forms of the words.
3. News Context: What Happened?
📋 News Fact Box
Event: El Clásico
Club: FC Barcelona
Partner: Spotify
Artist: Olivia Rodrigo
Campaign Type: Music x Football x Merchandise
Reported Impact: Over €25 million in sales (media estimates)
The Day Pop Music Took Over The Pitch
In recent years, FC Barcelona and streaming platform Spotify have launched a unique strategy to promote global music artists. By replacing the traditional sponsor logo on their shirts during El Clásico matches, they have created a partnership that merges sport, music, and fashion.
Their latest highly-anticipated campaign featured American pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo. During the globally broadcast match against Real Madrid, the Barça players wore a limited-edition kit featuring Rodrigo’s signature butterfly-style logo. She became the youngest artist to appear on the iconic shirt, generating immense excitement among a younger demographic.
This collaboration is a prime example of how modern football clubs are transforming into broad entertainment brands. The aim is no longer just to win matches, but to capture a massive audience across social media platforms. By connecting with Rodrigo's passionate fanbase, the club successfully boosted its relevance among teenagers and young adults who might not traditionally watch ninety minutes of football.
To celebrate the event, Spotify also organised a special music and lifestyle pop-up event in Barcelona. Fans queued for hours to purchase exclusive merchandise. The economic impact was astonishing. Although official figures are kept secret, various sports media reports estimated that the campaign generated more than €25 million in shirt sales and related revenue within just a few days.
While some traditionalists argue that football shirts shouldn't look like concert posters, marketing experts agree that this innovative approach represents the future of global sports business.
4. Reading Comprehension
Activity A: Multiple Choice
Read the text in Section 3 and choose the best answer (A, B, C or D).
Activity B: True / False / Not Given
Are these statements True, False, or Not Given according to the text?
Activity C: Vocabulary in Context
Match the highlighted words in the text to their synonyms/meanings below.
5. Grammar Focus: Reported Speech
📖 Grammar Rules: Media Contexts
When reporting what someone said in news, we shift the tense backwards.
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| "The collaboration is exciting." | She said (that) the collaboration was exciting. |
| "Fans are buying the shirt." | He reported fans were buying the shirt. |
| "The shirt will reach millions." | They stated the shirt would reach millions. |
| "We can connect people." | She explained they could connect people. |
| "I love this campaign today." | He said he loved that campaign that day. |
Activity A: Transform the Sentences
Rewrite the direct quotes into reported speech. Start with the words given.
Activity B: Error Correction
Find and correct the ONE reported speech mistake in each sentence. Type the correct sentence.
Activity C: Key Word Transformation (FCE Style)
Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first, using the word given. Do not change the word given. Use between 2 and 5 words.
6. Grammar Focus: Passive Voice
📖 Grammar Rules: Business & News Reporting
The passive voice focuses on the action or the receiver of the action, rather than who did it. It is very common in formal news and business reports.
- Present Simple: The shirts are sold globally.
- Past Simple: The logo was designed carefully.
- Present Perfect: Millions have been generated.
- Modals: The campaign could be seen worldwide.
Activity A: Active to Passive
Change these active sentences into the passive voice. Do not include 'by [agent]' unless necessary.
Activity B: Complete the Report
Type the correct passive form of the verb in brackets to complete this news update.
Activity C: Key Word Transformation (FCE Style)
Complete the second sentence using the word given. Use between 2 and 5 words.
7. Listening: Sports Marketing Podcast
🎧 Sports Biz Podcast
Listen to the audio and answer the questions.
(Transcript available in Teacher Notes)
Part 1: Multiple Choice
Listen to the podcast and choose the correct answer.
Part 2: Sentence Completion
Complete the sentences with 1 to 3 words based on the podcast.
Part 3: Discussion
- 🗣️ The expert mentioned traditional fans might not like these campaigns. Do you agree?
- 🗣️ Is creating 'urgency' with limited editions a fair way to treat fans?
- 🗣️ Should football remain just a sport, or is it inevitable that it becomes pure entertainment?
8. FCE Use of English Practice
Part 1: Multiple Choice Cloze
Read the text and choose the correct word for each gap.
Part 2: Open Cloze
Read the text and type ONE word only into each gap.
Part 3: Word Formation
Use the word given in capitals to form a word that fits the gap.
9. Speaking: B2 First Style
Part 1: Personal Questions
Discuss with your partner:
- Do you follow any football teams closely?
- Have you ever bought merchandise from a singer or a film?
- Do celebrities influence what young people buy today?
Part 2: Compare Two Pictures
Task: Look at the sets of pictures below. Compare the pictures, discussing the level of devotion, and say why brands use famous people, teams, and huge events to attract fans.
Set 1: Atmosphere & Scale
Set 2: Emotion & Passion
Both pictures show... / Whereas in the second picture... / One similarity is that... / This might appeal to young people because... / The photos highlight a strong emotional connection...
Part 3: Collaborative Task
How can football clubs attract younger fans?
↗️ ⬆️ ↖️
Music Collaborations • Cheaper Tickets • Social Media
Video Games • Player Interviews • Special Shirts
↘️ ⬇️ ↙️
Discuss the options and decide which TWO are the most effective.
10. Final Review Challenge
Ready to test your knowledge?
20 questions covering Vocabulary, Grammar, and Reading/Listening facts.
11. Teacher Notes & Answer Key
Target Level: B2 First (FCE) / Upper-Intermediate
Time: 60-75 minutes
Aims:
- Expose students to modern, relevant media vocabulary (marketing, sponsorship).
- Practise FCE Reading Part 1 & 5 styles.
- Review and apply Reported Speech and Passive Voice in a news context.
- Practise FCE Use of English parts 1, 2, 3, 4.
- Stimulate fluency through topical speaking and collaborative tasks.
Suggested Flow: Warm-up (5m) > Vocab (10m) > Reading (15m) > Grammar 1&2 (15m) > UoE/Speaking (15m) > Game (10m).
Host: Welcome back to Sports Biz, the podcast where we look at the money behind the beautiful game. Today, we’re talking about the day pop music took over El Clásico. I’m joined by sports marketing expert, Sarah Jenkins. Sarah, why did FC Barcelona and Spotify put Olivia Rodrigo on the shirt?
Sarah: Hi! Well, it’s all about brand awareness and reaching a global audience. Traditional football fans will watch El Clásico anyway. By bringing in a massive pop star like Olivia Rodrigo, the club successfully reaches millions of teenagers and young adults who might not usually care about football.
Host: It certainly generated massive attention online. But does it actually generate sales?
Sarah: Absolutely. The key is creating 'limited edition' merchandise. When fans know a shirt is only available for a few days, it creates a sense of urgency. They have to buy it now. Reports suggest the Rodrigo campaign generated over twenty-five million euros in merchandise revenue incredibly quickly.
Host: That's huge. But are there risks? Do traditional fans get angry?
Sarah: Yes, there's always a risk. Some older fans feel the historic club shirt shouldn't be a commercial billboard for pop stars. However, clubs argue that to survive financially in modern football, they must evolve into global entertainment brands, not just local sports teams.
Host: Sport, entertainment, and business... a powerful mix. Thanks, Sarah.
Sec 2 - Vocab A: 1.Sponsorship, 2.Revenue, 3.Brand awareness, 4.Target audience, 5.Launch
Sec 2 - Vocab B: 1.merchandise, 2.limited edition, 3.global audience, 4.promote, 5.collaboration
Sec 2 - Vocab C: 1.sponsor, 2.promotion/promotional, 3.commercial, 4.collaboration, 5.global, 6.generate
Sec 4 - Read A: 1.B, 2.C, 3.A, 4.B, 5.C, 6.A, 7.D, 8.B
Sec 4 - Read B: 1.T, 2.F, 3.T, 4.NG, 5.T, 6.NG, 7.F, 8.T
Sec 4 - Read C: boost=boost, campaign=campaign, audience=audience, merchandise=merchandise, revenue=revenue, launch=launch, partnership=partnership, impact=impact
Sec 5 - Gram A: 1...the shirt would reach... 2...fans were buying... 3...music and football could connect... 4...they wanted to engage... 5...the campaign had generated...
Sec 5 - Gram B: 1.was, 2.would, 3.that day, 4.could, 5.were, 6.that, 7.had, 8.they
Sec 5 - Gram C (KWT): 1. SAID IT WAS EXTREMELY, 2. REPORTED FANS WERE BUYING, 3. EXPLAINED THEY WANTED TO, 4. STATED IT WOULD BE, 5. TOLD US THEY HAD, 6. SAID HE COULD SEE
Sec 6 - Gram A: 1. Millions are reached. 2. The kit was designed. 3. Money has been generated. 4. The shirt can be bought online. 5. Fans were engaged. 6. A new song will be launched. 7. The event is sponsored by Spotify. 8. Sales could be boosted.
Sec 6 - Gram B: 1.was announced, 2.will be worn, 3.has been bought, 4.are expected
Sec 7 - Listen A: 1.B, 2.C, 3.A, 4.A, 5.B, 6.C, 7.A, 8.C
Sec 7 - Listen B: 1.global audience, 2.urgency, 3.twenty-five million, 4.traditional fans, 5.entertainment brands, 6.social media, 7.limited edition, 8.brand awareness
Sec 8 - UoE: (Review automated answer validations in app logic)