Comparing league formats with respect to match importance in Belgian football

Comparing league formats with respect to match importance in Belgian football

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Article ID: iaor2012874
Volume: 194
Issue: 1
Start Page Number: 223
End Page Number: 240
Publication Date: Apr 2012
Journal: Annals of Operations Research
Authors: , ,
Keywords: scheduling
Abstract:

Recently, most clubs in the highest Belgian football division have become convinced that the format of their league should be changed. Moreover, the TV station that broadcasts the league is pleading for a more attractive competition. However, the clubs have not been able to agree on a new league format, mainly because they have conflicting interests. In this paper, we compare the current league format, and three other formats that have been considered by the Royal Belgian Football Association. We simulate the course of each of these league formats, based on historical match results. We assume that the attractiveness of a format is determined by the importance of its games; our importance measure for a game is based on the number of teams for which this game can be decisive to reach a given goal. Furthermore, we provide an overview of how each league format aligns with the expectations and interests of each type of club.

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