Former Manchester City chief Garry Cook says handling the media is now crucial for the club's players and incoming manager.
With football now a global industry worth billions of pounds, the former Nike executive says it is vital players and staff recognise the importance of a club's commercial interests.
"When companies sign an agreement with a club, they want access to the core proposition, which is the talent," Cook told BBC Sport.
"They want the manager, they want the players, so now the players and the manager have to give up time for that.
"It puts a drain on someone who doesn't necessarily understand the need to be a commercial property, doesn't necessarily understand the need to explain themselves in the media, doesn't understand the need to run the business with financial management at the heart of everything they do.
"The holistic element is understanding the way a football club runs, not just how a football team wins games."