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Gender Inequality in European Football: Evidence from Competitive Balance and Competitive Intensity in the UEFA Men’s and Women’s Champions League

Author

Listed:
  • Aurélien François

    (Centre d’Etudes des Transformations des Activités Physiques et Sportives, University of Rouen, Boulevard Siegfried, 76821 Mont-Saint-Aignan, France)

  • Nicolas Scelles

    (Institute of Sport and Business School, Manchester Metropolitan University, All Saints Campus, Oxford Road, Manchester M15 6BH, UK)

  • Maurizio Valenti

    (Institute of Sport and Business School, Manchester Metropolitan University, All Saints Campus, Oxford Road, Manchester M15 6BH, UK)

Abstract

Competitiveness of sporting contests is key to attract fan interest. However, limited research compared levels of competitiveness in men’s and women’s sports. This study focuses on the evolution of intra-match competitive balance (IMCB) and competitive intensity (IMCI) in the UEFA Men’s and Women’s Champions League (UMCL and UWCL). Data were initially collected for 3299 games over 2001–2019 (2314 in UMCL; 985 in UWCL) to analyse the evolution within and between each tournament. In addition, 989 matches played in UMCL over 1955–1973 were added to compare both competitions in their early stages. Results show a deterioration in IMCB and IMCI between 2001–2009 and 2009–2019 for the UMCL. Conversely, the UWCL benefitted from an increase in IMCB but not in IMCI, except for the final. The UWCL is still less competitive than the UMCL. This result holds true even when comparing the early stages of both competitions, i.e., replacing 2001–2019 by 1955–1973 for the UMCL. However, the UWCL has become closer to the UMCL in terms of IMCB and IMCI over time, a result linked to the development of women’s football. From a theoretical perspective, this article advances knowledge of IMCB and IMCI, appropriate for competitions with knockout stages. It underlines the role of the pool of players as an explanatory factor for the gap in competitiveness between European men’s and women’s football.

Suggested Citation

  • Aurélien François & Nicolas Scelles & Maurizio Valenti, 2022. "Gender Inequality in European Football: Evidence from Competitive Balance and Competitive Intensity in the UEFA Men’s and Women’s Champions League," Economies, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-17, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jecomi:v:10:y:2022:i:12:p:315-:d:1000154
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Walter C. Neale, 1964. "The Peculiar Economics of Professional Sports," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 78(1), pages 1-14.
    2. Valenti, Maurizio & Scelles, Nicolas & Morrow, Stephen, 2020. "The determinants of stadium attendance in elite women’s football: Evidence from the UEFA Women's Champions League," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 509-520.
    3. repec:fth:geneec:00.04 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Jean-Marc Falter & Christophe Perignon, 2000. "Demand for football and intramatch winning probability: an essay on the glorious uncertainty of sports," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(13), pages 1757-1765.
    5. Stefan Szymanski, 2010. "The Economic Design of Sporting Contests," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: The Comparative Economics of Sport, chapter 1, pages 1-78, Palgrave Macmillan.
    6. Alexander John Bond & Francesco Addesa, 2020. "Competitive Intensity, Fans’ Expectations, and Match-Day Tickets Sold in the Italian Football Serie A, 2012-2015," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 21(1), pages 20-43, January.
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    Cited by:

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