Offensive/Defensive Talent and Sporting Success in Football: Evidence From the Big Five European Leagues

Miquel Carreras-Simó and Jaume García

Journal of Sports Economics, 2022, vol. 23, issue 3, 251-276

Abstract: Over the past decade, the sustained growth of the football business has been associated with clubs’ interest in investing in players’ talent, which has boosted both the transfer market and players’ salaries. However, players’ talent is heterogeneous, given that both defensive and offensive talent are required. Therefore, clubs have to decide on the optimal talent composition, taking into account the differences in the cost and the productivity of both talents. The article shows that, firstly, clubs’ talent composition (ratio between offensive and defensive talent) presents significant differences over time among the Big Five European leagues. Secondly, the talent composition is consistent with maximizing sporting performance (or profit maximization) in the case of Serie A, but not in the case of Bundesliga. Results for Premier League, LaLiga and Ligue 1, are not conclusive with a few exceptions associated with the top teams.

Keywords: Big Five European leagues; offensive and defensive talent; sporting success; panel data; talent composition (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:jospec:v:23:y:2022:i:3:p:251-276

DOI: 10.1177/15270025211049791

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