Has a lack of regulation led to a lack of competition in elite football?

Behan, Adam (2021) Has a lack of regulation led to a lack of competition in elite football? Masters thesis, Dublin, National College of Ireland.

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Abstract

European football is becoming increasingly uncompetitive. Research has shown that regulatory authorities have struggled to introduce effective regulation to control the distribution of wealth in football. This has been to the detriment of competition. This study aims to assess what can be done to rectify the issue. Building on existing research, I want to determine what other countries and sports have done to increase competitive balance. Competitive balance refers to the points gap between each team in a league table. The closer together the teams are the higher the competitive balance.

I used quantitative research methods to examine the concentration of points earned in the 6 richest English Premier League clubs to get an understanding of competition levels. I also used qualitative research methods to assess the regulation in place and determine if current regulation is effective. Current regulation has been totally ineffective in preventing clubs from overspending and has simultaneously reduced competition levels. Current regulation has not prevented sugar daddies from financial doping and bankrolling clubs. Elite football has presented a great opportunity for sportswashing which has reduced competition. It is recommended that regulators take a similar approach to the major leagues in America and introduce salary caps and distribute wealth in a more equal manner.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Regulation; competitive balance; competition; European football
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure > Sports > Soccer
Divisions:	School of Business > Master of Science in Finance
Depositing User:	Clara Chan
Date Deposited:	24 Feb 2022 17:09
Last Modified:	24 Feb 2022 17:09
URI:	https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/5484

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