Leadership in football goes beyond tactics and results, it emerges as a process rooted in identity, emotion, and the symbolic relationship between coaches and fans. In this context, the way supporters perceive leadership depends not only on performance but also on how coaches represent the club’s culture and communicate its values. This study aims to explore how fans’ sense of identification with their club and their emotional investment shape the way they perceive coaches’ leadership and legitimacy. To achieve this, both secondary and primary data were analysed. The primary data were gathered through an exploratory quantitative approach, using an online questionnaire distributed to a convenience sample of 215 football supporters. The findings indicate that fans who feel a stronger connection to their club tend to view coaches as more legitimate when those coaches reflect the club’s identity and values. Emotional investment also plays a role, as more emotionally engaged fans are generally more supportive and forgiving of coaches during difficult periods. However, this connection did not influence whether fans believed that a coach without titles could still represent the essence of the club. Overall, the study suggests that effective leadership in football relies on more than performance results. It is grounded in shared identity, emotional ties, and communication that reinforces the symbolic relationship between the coach, the club, and its fans.