Money and Uncertainty of Outcome in Modern Sports Based on the Example of Football
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18778/0208-6018.365.03Keywords:
football, uncertainty of outcome, sport financeAbstract
One of the fundamental aspects of professional football is competition, which not only captivates fans but also drives its economic success. Money undeniably plays a significant role in determining sports outcomes, as clubs with larger budgets often possess better players. This article aims to examine the relationship between the market value of football clubs’ squads and their performance in the top 15 European leagues, as per the UEFA ranking. Among these leagues, Manchester City boasts the highest players market value in Europe, estimated at 1,110 million EUR, accounting for a mere 11.21% of the total market value of all English Premier League players. In summary, over the course of the last five seasons, out of 75 possible champions across the analysed leagues, the team with the most expensive squad has emerged victorious on 54 occasions. Consequently, it prompts consideration as to whether any measures should be taken to foster greater balance and to reduce the domination of wealthy teams in national football leagues.
Downloads
References
Alavy K., Gaskell A., Leach S., Szymanski S. (2010), On the edge of your seat: Demand for football on television and the uncertainty of outcome hypothesis, “International Journal of Sport Finance”, vol. 5(2), pp. 75–95.
Google Scholar
BBC (2021), Euro 2020 final: TV audience peaked at 31m as England lost on penalties, https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-57802981 [accessed: 23.08.2021].
Google Scholar
Bryson A., Frick B., Simmons R. (2013), The Returns to Scarce Talent: Footedness and Player Remuneration in European Soccer, “Journal of Sports Economics”, vol. 14(6), pp. 606–628, https://doi.org/10.1177/1527002511435118
Google Scholar
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1527002511435118
Buraimo B., Simmons R. (2015), Uncertainty of Outcome or Star Quality? Television Audience Demand for English Premier League Football, “International Journal of the Economics of Business”, vol. 22(3), pp. 449–469, https://doi.org/10.1080/13571516.2015.1010282
Google Scholar
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13571516.2015.1010282
Chadwick S., Widdop P., Anagnostopoulos C., Parnell D. (eds.) (2022), The Business of the FIFA World Cup, Routledge, New York, https://www.routledge.com/The-Business-of-the-FIFA-World-Cup/Chadwick-Widdop-Anagnostopoulos-Parnell/p/book/9780367640170 [accessed: 23.08.2021].
Google Scholar
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003121794
Chroust K. (2022), Jamie Vardy’s Having an Anniversary Party: Leicester City: Their 5,000 to–1 Premier League Title Six Years On, https://theanalyst.com/eu/2022/05/leicester-citys-premier-league-title-six-years-on/ [accessed: 5.05.2023].
Google Scholar
Dorsett R., Solhekol K. (2023), European Super League: Key questions answered as fresh plans for competition announced, https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12806717/european-super-league-key-questions-answered-as-fresh-plans-for-competition-announced [accessed: 5.05.2023].
Google Scholar
Felipe J.L., Fernandez Luna A., Burillo P., Riva L.E. de la, Sanchez Sanchez J., Garcia Unanue J. (2020), Money Talks: Team Variables and Player Positions that Most Influence the Market Value of Professional Male Footballers in Europe, “Sustainability”, vol. 12(9), pp. 10–17, https://doi.org/10.3390/su12093709
Google Scholar
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su12093709
FIFA (2022), Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, https://digitalhub.fifa.com/m/620d0240c40944ed/original/Regulations-on-the-Status-and-Transfer-of-Players-October-2022-edition.pdf [accessed: 12.04.2023].
Google Scholar
FIFA (2023), One Month On: 5 billion engaged with the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/worldcup/qatar2022/news/one-month-on-5-billion-engaged-with-the-fifa-world-cup-qatar-2022-tm [accessed: 11.04.2023].
Google Scholar
Frick B. (2011), Performance, salaries, and contract length: Empirical evidence from German soccer, “International Journal of Sport Finance”, vol. 6(2), pp. 87–118.
Google Scholar
Gerhards J., Mutz M. (2017), Who wins the championship? Market value and team composition as predictors of success in the top European football leagues, “European Societies”, vol. 19(3), https://doi.org/10.1080/14616696.2016.1268704
Google Scholar
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14616696.2016.1268704
He M., Cachucho R., Knobbe A. (2015), Football player’s performance and market value, “CEUR Workshop Proceedings”, pp. 87–95.
Google Scholar
Herm S., Callsen Bracker H.M., Kreis H. (2014), When the crowd evaluates soccer players’ market values: Accuracy and evaluation attributes of an online community, “Sport Management Review”, vol. 17(4), pp. 484–492, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2013.12.006
Google Scholar
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2013.12.006
Kiefer S. (2014), The Impact of the Euro 2012 on Popularity and Market Value of Football Players, “International Journal of Sport Finance”, vol. 9(2), pp. 95–110, https://fitpublishing.com/articles/impact-euro-2012-popularity-and-market-value-football-players [accessed: 11.04.2023].
Google Scholar
Kokkinidis T. (2022), July 4, 2004: When Greece Stunned the World to Win Euro 2004, https://greekreporter.com/2022/07/04/greece-euro-2004-champion/ [accessed: 5.05.2023].
Google Scholar
Kuper S., Szymanski S. (2014), Soccernomics, Nation Books, New York.
Google Scholar
Kutwa K., Rafał M. (2019), Polski rynek sportu, Polski Instytut Ekonomiczny, Warszawa, http://pie.net.pl/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Raport_PIE-Sport-gospodarka.pdf [accessed: 15.01.2023].
Google Scholar
Lee S., Harris J. (2012), Managing excellence in USA Major League Soccer : an analysis of the relationship between player performance and salary, “Magaging Leisure”, vol. 17(2–3), pp. 106–113, https://doi.org/10.1080/13606719.2012.674389
Google Scholar
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13606719.2012.674389
Leszczyński M., Metelski A. (2021), The social media activity of top athletes during the global suspension of sports competitions – based on the example of Instagram, “Marketing i Rynek”, vol. 4, pp. 3–10.
Google Scholar
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33226/1231-7853.2021.4.2
Leszczyński M., Metelski A., Rabczun A. (2022), Digitalized Sports Products and Various Generations in the Era of Industry 4.0, “Sustainability (Switzerland)”, vol. 14(1), pp. 1–11, https://doi.org/10.3390/su14010095
Google Scholar
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su14010095
Lewis M. (2003), Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, W.W. Norton & Company, New York.
Google Scholar
Mackenzie R., Cushion C. (2013), Performance analysis in football: A critical review and implications for future research, “Journal of Sports Sciences”, vol. 31(6), pp. 639–676, https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2012.746720
Google Scholar
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2012.746720
Majewski S. (2016), Identification of Factors Determining Market Value of the Most Valuable Football Players, “Journal of Management and Business Administration. Central Europe”, vol. 24(3), pp. 91–104, https://doi.org/10.7206/jmba.ce.2450-7814.177
Google Scholar
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7206/jmba.ce.2450-7814.177
Majewski S. (2021), Football players’ brand as a factor in performance rights valuation, “Journal of Physical Education and Sport”, vol. 21(4), pp. 1751–1760, https://doi.org/10.7752/jpes.2021.04222
Google Scholar
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7752/jpes.2021.04222
Metelski A. (2021), Factors affecting the value of football players in the transfer market, “Journal of Physical Education and Sport”, vol. 21(2), pp. 1150–1155, https://doi.org/10.7752/jpes.2021.s2145
Google Scholar
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7752/jpes.2021.s2145
MLS (2022), Roster Rules and Regulations, https://www.mlssoccer.com/about/roster-rules-and-regulations [accessed: 11.04.2023].
Google Scholar
Müller O., Simons A., Weinmann M. (2017), Beyond crowd judgments: Data driven estimation of market value in association football, “European Journal of Operational Research”, vol. 263(2), pp. 611–624, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2017.05.005
Google Scholar
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2017.05.005
NBA (2023), NBA salary cap and tax level expected to rise in 2023–24, https://www.nba.com/news/nba-salary-cap-and-tax-level-expected-to-rise-in-2023-24 [accessed: 11.04.2023].
Google Scholar
Paul D.J., Bradley P.S., Nassis G.P. (2015), Factors Affecting Match Running Performance of Elite Soccer Players: Shedding Some Light on the Complexity, “International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance”, vol. 10(4), pp. 516–519, https://doi.org/10.1123/IJSPP.2015-0029
Google Scholar
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2015-0029
Pawlowski T., Anders C. (2012), Stadium attendance in German professional football – the (un)importance of uncertainty of outcome reconsidered, “Applied Economics Letters”, vol. 19(16), pp. 1553–1556, https://doi.org/10.1080/13504851.2011.639725
Google Scholar
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13504851.2011.639725
Pawlowski T., Breuer C., Hovemann A. (2010), Top Clubs’ Performance and the Competitive Situation in European Domestic Football Competitions, “Journal of Sports Economics”, vol. 11(2), pp. 186–202, https://doi.org/10.1177/1527002510363100
Google Scholar
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1527002510363100
Pedace R. (2008), Earnings, Performance, and Nationality Discrimination in a Highly Competitive Labor Market as An Analysis of the English Professional Soccer League, “Journal of Sports Economics”, vol. 9(2), https://doi.org/10.1177/1527002507301422
Google Scholar
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1527002507301422
Plumley D., Wilson R., Ramchandani G. (2017), Towards a model for measuring holistic performance of professional Football clubs, “Soccer and Society”, vol. 18(1), pp. 16–29, https://doi.org/10.1080/14660970.2014.980737
Google Scholar
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14660970.2014.980737
Poli D.R., Ravenel L., Besson R. (2019), Financial analysis of the transfer market in the big–5 European leagues (2010–2019), https://football-observatory.com/IMG/pdf/mr47en.pdf [accessed: 15.03.2023].
Google Scholar
Ruijg J., Ophem H. van (2015), Determinants of football transfers, “Applied Economics Letters”, vol. 22(1), pp. 12–19, https://doi.org/10.1080/13504851.2014.892192
Google Scholar
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13504851.2014.892192
Rutzler P. (2023), PSG’s Champions League failure highlights their weakness for glamour, https://theathletic.com/4290626/2023/03/09/psg-bayern-munich-champions-league/ [accessed: 5.05.2023].
Google Scholar
Stiroh K.J. (2007), Playing for keeps: pay and performance in the NBA, “Economic Inquiry”, vol. 45(1), pp. 145–161, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1465-7295.2006.00004.x
Google Scholar
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1465-7295.2006.00004.x
Transfermarkt (2023), Transfer records, https://www.transfermarkt.com/statistik/transferrekorde [accessed: 11.04.2023].
Google Scholar
Tunaru R., Clark E., Viney H. (2005), An option pricing framework for valuation of football players, “Review of Financial Economics”, vol. 14(3–4), pp. 281–295.
Google Scholar
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rfe.2004.11.002
UEFA (2018), UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations, https://documents.uefa.com/search/books?filters=FT_Competition~%2522Club+Licensing%2522*FT_Competition_custom~%2522Specific+Regulations%2522*FT_ContentType_custom~%2522Technical+Regulations%2522&content-lang=en-GB [accessed: 10.01.2023].
Google Scholar
UEFA (2020), The European Club Footballing Landscape, https://www.footballbenchmark.com/documents/files/UEFA%20Club%20Licensing%20Benchmarking%20report_2020_FY%202018.pdf [accessed: 10.01.2023].
Google Scholar
UEFA (2021), In numbers: the UEFA EURO 2020 International Broadcast Centre, https://www.uefa.com/returntoplay/news/026b-12aac44296ed-e5a911ee145e-1000--in-numbers-the-uefa-euro-2020-international-broadcast-centre/ [accessed: 23.08.2021].
Google Scholar
UEFA (2022), The European Club Footballing Landscape, https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/0272-145b03c04a9e-26dc16d0c545-1000/master_bm_high_res_20220203104923.pdf [accessed: 10.02.2023].
Google Scholar
UEFA (2023), Country coefficients, https://www.uefa.com/nationalassociations/uefarankings/country/#/yr/2023 [accessed: 11.04.2023].
Google Scholar