This article discusses the dynamics between the media and a football coach in a situation where expected results were lacking, and the media`s criticism of the coach increased. Specifically, this is a longitudinal study of how a Norwegian national head coach in men`s football defended and explained persistent losses. What was the content of the media criticism, how did the coach respond and why, and how did the media react to his response? Can the coach`s response be considered successful, given the context in which he operated? Here, context refers to conditions beyond a coach`s control as well as conditions over which a coach has some control. On the one hand, context refers to the logic of professional sports in general, and professional football in particular because of the engagement it creates. The result of a football match tends to be more important to fans and segments of the public than political decisions because sports have a strong emotional dimension. They are both entertainment and something to believe in - a type of religion, even, to many.7 The importance of professional sports is also reflected in the comprehensive and intense media coverage of sporting events, their commercial value, the number of participants and the size of the audience, and the time spent on conversations among fans and the general public about sports performance and sports heroes.8 On the other hand, context refers to the situation that coaches themselves create through their communication and response to media criticism. In short, context also refers to the dynamics between media criticism and coaches` responses.
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