The report says 84% of professional sports organisations experienced at least one cyber incident in the past year.
For football clubs, repetition matters. A single breach may affect payments or internal systems, but several attacks can steadily drain resources, expose sensitive information and disrupt preparations for fixtures. The risk extends beyond the club itself to ticketing providers, retail operations, sponsors, broadcasters and other partners.
The report says 83% of organisations detected artificial intelligence being used in attacks, while 72% expect AI to increase cyber risk over the next year.
That threat is not limited to sophisticated hacking. AI can produce convincing phishing emails, clone brand language, create deepfakes and impersonate players or senior executives. A fake request from a commercial director, arriving before a major match or transfer deadline, can exploit urgency before normal checks take place.
Clubs are also adopting AI tools of their own, sometimes without strong controls over access, data handling or supplier security. That creates another route into an organisation already under pressure to move quickly.
The report puts the average cost of a single incident at about $170,000, while repeated attacks can push annual losses towards $1.7 million.
Those figures underline why cyber security belongs in boardroom planning, not just the IT department. Clubs need rehearsed response plans, stronger authentication, supplier checks and clear procedures for verifying urgent payment or data requests. Staff, players and agents should also know how easily a familiar voice or message can be faked.
The next test will come during the next high-profile matchday or transfer window. Clubs that treat digital security as part of sporting infrastructure will be better placed to protect performance, finances and trust when attackers look for maximum disruption.