Squad Optimizing: Integrating Tactics into Football Team Composition Problem via Integer Programming

Guilherme Pettene Dantas () and Marcus Ritt ()
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Guilherme Pettene Dantas: UFRGS
Marcus Ritt: UFRGS

Environment Systems and Decisions, 2025, vol. 45, issue 3, 1-14

Abstract: Abstract Football presents a rich domain for applying optimization techniques, as clubs continuously strive for excellence from their players and staff to secure wins. The challenge of football team composition has recently gained attention, spurred by the increasing availability of data. In this article, we introduce a novel integer programming model that aligns seamlessly with the tactical goals of any club and manager. We evaluated the effectiveness of our model across English Premier League clubs. Our findings indicate a consistent enhancement in the skill levels for every squad, irrespective of their financial constraints. Furthermore, the model achieved this goal while exploiting market inefficiencies, allowing for reduced wage expenditures. Lastly, the squad’s overall skill is sustained throughout the optimized period by acquiring young prospects.

Keywords: Football; Tactics; Integer programming; Team composition (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s10669-025-10033-2

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