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It’s impossible to imagine today’s sports without data analysis and statistics. What role do they play in women’s football? Let’s take a closer look with Miłosz Stępiński, the head coach of Poland women’s national football team.

Miłosz Stępiński tells us about his attitude towards data and statistics in sports, and the developments in women’s football.

– What role do sports statistics play in your work, and how has that role been changing over the years?

– I had started using sports data when I worked for football clubs, and then kept employing it when working with the national teams. We’ve always had access to that kind of digital data, which has been helping us to see some tendencies in our games. I’ve always seen the data as one of many parts of knowledge that I’ve been using in my work. Of course, I haven’t been analysing all the data I’ve had. Instead, I’ve been trying to single out the key numbers and to draw conclusions on their basis. It’s crucial to know what data you need, and to concentrate on the most important parts of it. Interpretation of the data is the key here.

Photo: Paula Duda / Polish FA

– Interpreting the data in ways that make it useful for the team is what sports analysts do. Can you tell us more about the aspects of data that you find useful to analyse?

– Well, as we know, there are multiple types of data. I’ve been using some of them as a complementary part of my work as a coach. So, for example, if there’s a penalty kick, we can analyse some trends, like for example, which players shoot at which parts of the goal. Similarly, we can analyse the ways in which our rivals pass the ball, or how they organize their attacks. These types of data provide important hints for our players.

I also think that packing [statistics that measure how much you outplay your opponents in a single game] is a very interesting trend in sports data. It provides a new look at the data and allows us to look at what’s happening on the field in a completely fresh way.

Photo: Paula Duda / Polish FA

– Are there any specific types of data that are especially important for women’s football?

– Of course, there are differences between women’s and men’s statistics when it comes to the purely physical aspect of the game, such as the distance covered during a game. We are able to access thousands of pieces of data thanks to the services of Catapult, but we’re focusing on the five most important metrics for players. We always have team reports and individual reports after our games, which are shared with players to help them learn something more about their performance, but I always insist that this kind of data should not be treated as the only basis for the decisions we’re making. We’re focusing on the most important data, and not on all kinds of data that we’ve got available.

– Do you think that sports data analysis will be developed in ways that will allow coaches to build a more comprehensive and realistic view of the game?

– Packing is the best example here, which is a completely new attitude for the data. Of course, we’ve been measuring everything that’s happening on the field, distances covered by players, etc. But new ways of dealing with the data will surely be worked out. Soon, we might be trying to build predictive models to analyse what specific players may do next in the game, what could be their next move. Such projects will surely be popping up. The question is whether they will be successful enough to become widely accepted.

Photo: Paula Duda / Polish FA

– What do you think are the perspectives for women’s football in Poland in the coming years?

– When it comes to Polish women’s football, a lot depends on how it will be developing on the club level. In the Polish Football Association’s strategy for the development of women’s football, a lot of financing is provided for the national teams. As a head coach of the national team, I’m pleased to see that resources are provided not just for the A team, but also for the youth teams. Then, there’s the other branch of the process, namely the clubs, which are also provided with financial support by the Polish FA for their participation in competitions and various achievements. So, there has been a constant flow of money to the clubs since Zbigniew Boniek [head of the Polish Football Association] approved this strategy. The question here is how the clubs are going to use that money, and what effects will it bring. A lot depends on how specific clubs are dealing with the players, and how they are helping them to develop and grow. Of course, the national federation is here to help and support the clubs and players through various activities and initiatives directed towards their development. But at the end of the day, many crucial decisions are made by the clubs, so they’re playing a very important role in the development of women’s football in Poland.

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Which cities are home to the highest number of football clubs?

In the realm of European sports, nothing can beat football (soccer) in terms of popularity, participation and fan engagement. The emotions, dreams, and expectations all mix together to create a matchless experience for the sport’s supporters.

The game is immensely popular everywhere from Lisbon to Moscow. Still, on this football-obsessed continent, there are a few metropolises that stand out when it comes to the number of teams they host.

1. London – 6 clubs in the Premier League

• 12 teams within the four top tiers of football, including 6 clubs in the Premier League.
• 29 clubs between level five and eight.

The relationship between London and football goes far back into the history of the game. In fact, various references to the game can be found long before the modern rules of the game were officially established by the Football Association, which is the oldest football organisation around the globe. Today the city is home to some of the most fiercely contested derby matches in the world! 

As of the 2020-21 season of English football, there are 12 London-based professional teams participating in the top four tiers of the English league system, and 29 clubs that currently represent the city on tiers from five to eight.

Six London-based clubs currently compete in the Premier League: Arsenal, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur, and West Ham United. Six more teams compete within the top four divisions: Brentford, Millwall, Queens Park Rangers, AFC Wimbledon, Charlton Athletic, Leyton Orient.

The most successful football clubs from London are Arsenal (13 English championships), Chelsea (6 English championships and 1 Champions League title), and Tottenham (2 English championships).

2. Istanbul – 5 clubs in the Süper Lig

• 5 clubs in the country’s top-flight Süper Lig.
• 3 teams on the second level of football competition, and 5 on the third level.
• In 64 seasons, the championship was won by Instabul-based clubs 57 times!

Yes, we know, not all of Istanbul is technically in Europe. To be precise, let’s note that the city is a transcontinental metropolis straddling the Bosporus strait, which separates Europe and Asia. When it comes to football, however, Turkey and its clubs all belong to the European football family (UEFA).

On both sides of the strait, there are, of course, some amazing football clubs. Honestly, there’s quite a lot of them…

Süper Lig, the country’s top flight of football is currently contested by eighteen Turkish clubs, of which 5 are based within the city. These are Beşiktaş, Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray, Başakşehir FK, and Kasımpaşa.

It is worth mentioning that throughout the history of the Turkish football, Istanbul-based teams won almost all the championship titles. In fact, the title went to Istanbul on 57 occasions, while to other cities… just 7 times.

The city is also represented by many clubs in the lower divisions of the Turkish football system. In the TFF First League (second level of competition), there are currently three Istanbul-based clubs: Tuzlaspor, Ümraniyespor, and İstanbulspor. In the third tier, there are five more clubs from the city: Sancaktepe, Kocaelispor, Sarıyer, Pendikspor, Eyüpspor.

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3. Athens – 5 clubs in the Super League 1

• 5 clubs [including Olympiacos Pireus] based within the Athens urban area participate in the country’s top competition,
• 76 out of 83 championships won by Athens-based teams.

Greek football has been dominated by teams from the country’s capital, and more specifically, by the so-called Big Three: AEK Athens F.C., Olympiacos F.C. and Panathinaikos F.C. Combined they won a total of 76 out of 83 Greek Football Championships.

The following 5 teams from Athens are currently competing on the highest level of the sport in Greece (Super League): AEK, Panathinaikos, Apollon Smyrnis, Atromitos, and Olympiacos, which is based in the port city of Piraeus within the Athens urban area.

In the second tier, which is called the Super League 2, there is currently one club from Athens – Ionikos F.C.

Three more teams from Athens urban area are currently playing in the third tier of the system (Football League Greece). These are Egaleo, Kallithea, and Enosis Aspropyrgos.

4. Moscow – 4 clubs in the Russian Premier League

• 4 clubs contesting the country’s top-flight,
• 8 teams within two lower tiers.

With its 12 million people, Moscow is the most populous city that lies entirely within Europe. The city is home to 63 sports stadiums and hosts numerous teams and clubs across tens of disciplines.

The capital of Russia currently has four teams contesting the country’s top football division. These are CSKA Moscow, Lokomotiv Moscow, Spartak Moscow, and Dynamo Moscow.

Four more teams, Torpedo, Chertanovo, Spartak-2, and Veles, currently play in the Russian Football National League, which is the second tier of the Russian football pyramid. And then there are four more at the third level of the system (Russian Professional Football League): Dynamo-2, Strogino, Kazanka, and Rodina.

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5. Madrid – 3 clubs in La Liga

• 3 clubs from Madrid area currently play in La Liga, and 4 in Segunda División.
• Real Madrid is the most decorated European football club.

Every football fan around the world knows about Real Madrid and Atletico, which are some of the world’s most successful teams. However, the city hosts many more professional football clubs.

Currently, there are three Community of Madrid-based teams competing in La Liga: Real, Atletico, and Getafe.

Then there are four clubs from the area competing in the Segunda División (second tier): Leganés, Rayo Vallecano, Alcorcón, and Fuenlabrada.

In the third tier, Segunda División B, there are 8 more teams from the Madrid area: Atlético Madrid B, Getafe B, Internacional, Las Rozas, Navalcarnero, Rayo Majadahonda, Real Madrid Castilla, San Sebastián de los Reyes.

6. Lisbon – 3 clubs in the Primeira Liga

• 3 clubs from Lisbon are currently competing in the country’s top league.
• In the Liga Portugal 2 (second tier of football in Portugal) there are currently 6 teams hailing from the Lisbon Metropolitan Area.

The three Lisbon-based clubs in the Primeira Liga are Benfica Lisboa, Sporting CP, and Belenenses SAD. 56 out of 86 championships in the history of the league went to one of these three Lisbon-based clubs.

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There are six teams from Lisbon Metropolitan Area currently competing on the second tier of football in Portugal: Benfica B, Casa Pia, C. Piedade, Vilafranquense, Mafra, and Estoril.

7. Prague – 3 clubs in the Czech First League

• 3 clubs from Prague are currently competing in the country’s top league.
• In the four top tiers, there are fourteen teams from the city.

Sparta Prague, Slavia Prague, and Bohemians 1905 are the three clubs from the Czech capital currently competing in the top-level of football in the country.

Another three teams play in the Czech National Football League (second tier): Dukla Prague, FC Slavoj Vyšehrad, and Viktoria Žižkov.

The clubs on the lower levels of competitions include: Bohemians Prague, Loko Vltavín, Meteor Prague, Artima Prague, Zličín, Horní Měcholupy, Motorlet Prague.

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EURO 2020 has become EURO 2021 – and there will surely be winners and losers of this delay. Let’s take a deeper look!

Which players and teams will benefit from EURO delay?

The most obvious examples of who could benefit from it are the players who are currently injured or not in the best form. Pushing the tournament back by a year can surely make them hopeful for recovery.

Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford

England’s manager Gareth Southgate had some difficult choices before him about who should be in his team for EURO 2020. When Harry Kane tore his hamstring back in January, it seemed that Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford would be the one to take his place. Unfortunately, Rashford then suffered a back injury, and he would probably not be completely fit to take part in this year’s competition. In the summer of 2021, both players will (again: probably) be in much better shape than they are now!

Eden Hazard

Belgium can surely expect to benefit from the delay of the competition, as their star Eden Hazard will have more time to fully recover from the fibula injury and to find his best form.

Nicolò Zaniolo

Italy’s young star is expected to be out of play until the end of August because of cruciate knee ligament damage he suffered in Roma’s clash with Juventus in January. Now, Italians can hope that this promising youngster will lead them at EURO 2021.

The players discussed above are just some of the most notable names. In fact, the participation of numerous players in EURO 2020 was in danger, and the delay can give them some hope. These include:

• Ousmane Dembélé (France);
• Hugo Lloris (France);
• Niklas Süle (Germany);
• Robert Skov (Denmark);
• Kasper Dolberg (Denmark);
• Marco Asensio (Spain);
• Tammy Abraham (England);
• Daniel James (Wales);
• Jasper Cillessen (Netherlands);
• Cenk Tosun (Turkey).

It’s important to note, however, that the postponement could also diminish the hopes of some older players to take part in the tournament.

These could include Luka Modric, who will turn 35 next year, Olivier Giroud (34 years old in 2021), and Manuel Neuer (35).  Who knows, maybe it will be a moment for some rising stars, such as Norway’s Erling Braut Haaland and Martin Ødegaard, to take their place?

Some young players will sure look forward to using the additional year before the tournament to their advantage!

Who else will benefit from EURO 2021?

It could be argued that there will be some advantages from the delay of the tournament. When the EURO finally takes place, it may turn into a true celebration of all the most wonderful aspects of the game. And for all of us – who now know what it means to live without football on the top level – it will be a great reminder of the most cherished emotions related to the game!

When the competition finally takes place it will be seen by many as a sign of rebirth after the devastating pandemic. We can expect that football fans will support their teams even more eagerly and will celebrate their victories louder than ever before!

Moreover, it will certainly give a huge boost to the economy, which has already been adversely affected by the pandemic, and which will crave such events.

Let’s just recall that EURO 2016 provided €1.22 billion to the French economy, €596 million through the organization of the event and €625.8 million thanks to tourism (according to a study from the French Ministry of the City, Youth and Sports).  When EURO 2021 finally takes place, it will be seen as a glimpse of hope for the future, and if everything goes right, it will be bigger than any other event in the history European football!

It will also be a great opportunity for a real restart for bookmakers, as fans will be more than happy to bet some money on their teams.

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In fact, it’s possible that EURO 2021 will be a symbolic event for the reborn football, and a true celebration of all that matters in football!

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Nowadays, when you’re watching a broadcast of a match on TV, you see a lot of additional information scrolling through your screen. One of the first pieces of data to have been presented in such a way – since the clock and score were no longer enough – was the ball possession percentage. And since that comparison began to appear, people have been asking themselves “How is this actually calculated?” Find out with STATSCORE!

The question is not unfounded at all, and stormy discussions about it continue to this day. In the end, it is about how the notion of possession is understood and interpreted.

Firstly, maybe we should look at the popular definitions of ball possession in football, which tell us that possession is the amount of time a team controls the ball during a match.

There is some controversy even at this stage – is the amount of time really the best basis for this statistic? After all, if a goalkeeper controls the ball for 15 seconds, without doing anything special with it, can it work in any way for the benefit of his team? Apart, of course, from the situation when his team is winning and there is just one minute left until the end of the match?

It’s generally assumed that a higher percentage of ball possession testifies to the team’s advantage. However, at this point, we would need to consider whether this data should actually be treated as a direct indicator of advantage.

But before we consider the impact of ball possession on the final result, let’s go back to the opening question…

How is ball possession calculated?

The turn of the 21^st century is undoubtedly the beginning of the era of football enlightenment. The impact of technology development on sports has changed the way people follow and understand it. But it doesn’t mean that earlier nobody had analysed matches and performances. People had their own ways to measure different statistics, and ball possession had its own measurement method.

Calculating ball possession by a manual clock

In the early times, the first method to calculate ball possession was to manually control the clock. A person responsible for it had to start measuring time when a player of a given time began to possess the ball and to stop the clock when the team lost the ball. This kind of metric was, naturally, far from perfect, if only because of the human factor. People would sometimes forget to switch the clock or did it at a wrong moment.

Measuring ball possession by calculating passes

Years were passing, the world went ahead, technology kept advancing. Various companies started to take sports business more seriously and began to offer their services for that industry. Some of them worked with sports stats, including ball possession.

Another calculation method was developed, which consisted in summing up the numbers of passes of one team during the match and dividing it by the number of total passes made by both teams. It was a good solution in many ways, as it allowed to limit human errors, but it did not completely eliminate discrepancies. Moreover, it was one of the arguments for using automatic calculations by the companies.

This method had one main downside – it didn’t include the time when players were on the ball. This could cause considerable distortions, despite the declaration that the results of these measurements do not differ significantly from the “time method”.

The newest way to measure ball possession

Today sports-related companies are using the newest technology and counting stats in more complex ways. For example, ball possession is measured by three people who are using a video-based data collection tools during a match, which allows them to determine the time during which player has contact with the ball, location of that contact, and even type of the contact.

There will be still a question about more sensitive aspects like headers, tackles or out-of-play balls, which often take about half of the game time.

How is ball possession calculated by STATSCORE?

Ball possession at STATSCORE is calculated in a very specific way. When our live scout is covering a football match, there is a special, additional time counter running in the background. It can be compared to the chess clock. Each team has its own clock ticking. When the first team is on the ball – the time is counting by its side. When the second team makes an interception and takes the control of the ball, the first team’s clock stops, while the second team’s clock starts to measure its time.

This time-measuring method has to take into account various incidents happening on the pitch. For example, when a team is preparing to take a corner kick, or when a player is injured and there is a break during the game, the clock is stopped for both teams.

Finally, the amount of calculated time is converted into a percentage, which is displayed on STATSCORE stats and trackers.

Someone could ask if this data really reflects what’s going on on the pitch? What about the time when a team is preparing to take a set piece of the game? Is it still on the ball at that moment?

The method applied by STATSCORE ensures that it will be counted out to make sure that the ball possession percentage includes only the time when a team was actually on the ball during the actual action. This solution allows us to avoid all types of distortions.

How does ball possession matter in football?

In football, it has become a common belief that ball possession is important and has a significant impact on the final result of a match. When a team is having the ball for most of the game time, it is accepted that they are the dominating side.

However, football and statistics are an explosive combination that often loves to play tricks on its lovers. It is no different this time. When we take a look at the finals of the biggest tournaments – UEFA Champions League and FIFA World Cup, we can come to a conclusion that ball possession may after all not mean anything. It turns out that Champions League was won in turns by teams who were most of the time on the ball, and those focused on defence and quick attacks. And these differences on the ball possession were often substantial. The success of Jose Mourinho’s Inter in 2010 is probably the best example here. The team had less ball possession on average in all their games, as well as in their final match against Bayern (only 32%!)

Taking a look at the finals of the Champions League in last years, we could deduce that champions of the ball possession were… Real Madrid. Of course, it is a very direct, straightforward conclusion, but also a fact. They won this tournament the most times in recent years and almost every time they supported their wins with the advantage of ball possession. There was one exception though, in the 2016 final game against Atletico, Los Colchoneros spent more time on the ball, which can be seen as quite a paradox. However, Atletico failed to take advantage of this course of the match, and after a penalty shoot-out, it was Real Madrid to enjoy the success.

Equally interesting case is Liverpool as they took part in Champions League finals in two last seasons. In each of them, the Reds had less ball possession than opponents (39%). As we know perfectly well, they lost the first final against Real Madrid, to beat Tottenham the following year. Therefore, in this case, it can be pointed out that it was not the ball possession that mattered most to the result, but other factors like the specificity of the rivals, course of the game or goalkeepers’ performances.

When it comes to the last World Cup’s finals, here also no definite conclusions can be drawn either. In the 2018 final game, Croatia was dominated by the French team despite its big advantage in ball possession (61%), while the Germans in 2014 sealed their domination on the ball (60%) by the goal in the extra-time against Argentina.

We cannot ignore the mention of the historical match here, where Celtic beat Barcelona only with 27% of the ball possession. That was a great celebration of their 125 anniversary…

Source: uefa.com

Of course, we can’t treat these last years finals’ of the biggest competitions as a direct basis for all of the matches and teams in the whole football. However, taking part in these finals is possible only for teams on the highest level and they should constitute the best source of analysis.

Some time ago, soccerment.com did a great job by analyzing the top 5 European leagues in terms of the impact of ball possession for the final results, not only in a single match but the whole season. In that analysis, the conception about the importance of ball possession for the final result was proved to have much more sense. In fact, it was generally confirmed that the teams with a higher percentage of ball possession generally had better results in their matches.

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How old is Copa América?

Copa América is 104 years old! Yes, it’s been around for a while! In fact, it’s the oldest international football competition on the planet.

The first edition of the tournament was held 104 years ago, in 1916, organised by Argentina to celebrate 100 years of the country’s independence. Four teams took part in the competition: Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, and Chile. It was played in the form of a round-robin tournament, and it was won by Uruguay.

This Campeonato Sudamericano de Football, as it was then called, turned out to be the first edition of what is now known as Copa América (the name of the competition was formally changed in 1975).

Who won the most Copa America titles?

Until now, 46 stagings of the tournament were held, and 8 of the 10 CONMEBOL national teams won at least one edition.

• Uruguay is the most successful team with 15 triumphs (1916, 1917, 1920, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1935, 1942, 1956, 1959 in Ecuador, 1967, 1983, 1987, 1995, 2011).
• Argentina has 14 titles, while Brazil won the competition 9 times.
• Paraguay, Chile, and Peru each won 2 stagings of the event. Colombia and Bolivia each triumphed once.
• Ecuador and Venezuela are the two CONMEBOL teams which are yet to win their first titles.

Statistical highlights of Copa América

Top scorers, highest numbers of goals scored, and biggest wins… Let’s take a look at some of the most interesting stats from the history of the competition.

Teams stats

• Most Copa América appearances – Uruguay, 44;
• Most appearances in final games – Argentina, 28;
• Most matches played – Uruguay, 200;
• Most wins – Argentina, 120;
• Most goals scored – Argentina, 455;
• Highest number of consecutive championships – Argentina, 3 (1945, 1946, 1947);
• Biggest victory – Argentina 12–0 Ecuador (1942).

Individual stats

• Most goals scored (overall) – Norberto Méndez (Argentina), Zizinho (Brazil) – 17;
• Most goals scored (single tournament) – Jair da Rosa (Brazil), Humberto Maschio (Argentina) and Javier Ambrois (Uruguay) – 9;
• Most goals in a single match – Héctor Scarone (Uruguay), Juan Marvezzi (Argentina), Evaristo de Macedo (Brazil) – 5;
• Most appearances (overall) – Sergio Livingstone (Chile) – 34 (within 7 editions)
• Most assists (overall) – Leo Messi (Argentina) – 12
• Coach with most games – Guillermo Stábile (Argentina) – 44
• Most successful coach – Guillermo Stábile (Argentina) – 6 titles (1941, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1955 and 1957)
• Most man of the match awards – Leo Messi (Argentina) – 10 wins.

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Argentina hosted the competition 9 times

Argentina is the country that has hosted Copa América most often. This year the competition will be held there for the 10th time. It will also be the first time when the games will be hosted by two countries (Argentina and Colombia).

Uruguay and Chile each hosted the event 7 times.

The United States is the only non-CONMEBOL association to have hosted the event (in 2016).

Three times in history (1975, 1979, 1983) there were no hosts, and each team played their home games in their own country.

Copa América welcomes the world

The current format of the competition features 12 teams, but the thing is… that there are only 10 confederations registered in CONMEBOL. That’s why since 1993 two teams from other federations (most often CONCACAF, but not only) have been invited to take part in the competition. The special 2016 edition, organised to celebrate 100 years of the history of Copa América, was contested by 10 CONMEBOL teams, and 6 invitees.

Throughout the history, 9 different nations have received the invitation: Costa Rica (1997, 2001, 2004, 2011, 2016), Honduras (2001), Japan (1999, 2019), Jamaica (2015, 2016), Mexico (1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2016), Haiti (2016), Panama (2016), the United States (1993, 1995, 2007, 2016), Qatar (2019, 2020) and Australia (2020).

Mexico turned up to be the most successful invitee, reaching the final of the competition twice.

The tournament surely has a rich and fascinating history. That’s why we can’t wait to see what happens this year at Copa América! And if you’re interested in sports data and stats, let’s stay in touch!

Moreover, the competition is also a great opportunity for bookmakers, as it is one of the most popular sports tournaments in the world – with its favourites and black horses!

Don’t wait! Find out more about our amazing CupCenter 2020 and increase your revenue from the top football events of the year!
Contact our Customer Success Team at cst@statscore.com. We will be more than happy to schedule a call and discuss how we can help your organisation!

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For the first time in the history of the competition, the last 16 has been made up only of clubs representing Europe’s Big Five leagues – English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, Italian Serie A, German Budesliga, and French Ligue 1. This could be seen as a symbolic breakthrough in the long process which started with the inclusion of more than one team from the best leagues.

Long ago, when all leagues were created equal…

Before the 1997-98 season of the UCF, each domestic league could be represented solely by its champion (the only other team allowed to participate was the title holder).

In the 1992-93 season, which was the first one after the competition was re-organised from European Cup to Champions League, the group stage included just the best 8 teams: AC Milan, Marseille, Porto, CSKA Moscow, IPK Goteborg, Rangers, Club Brugge, and PSV Eindhoven. What diversity, wasn’t it? And yes, you read it right! No team from Germany, not a single one from England – they simply didn’t make it.

Though it’s true that almost all the following seasons of the Champions League were dominated by clubs from the Big Five leagues, there was always room for teams from weaker leagues. It’s pure maths – even if the Big Five teams took five spots in the quarter-finals, you still had three that were up for grabs!

That’s why it wasn’t so shocking to see Croatian Hajduk Split in quarter-finals (1994-95), or Polish Legia Warsaw (last 8, in 1995-96), and Greek Panathinaikos (semi-final, in 1995-96), or Norwegian Rosenborg (last 8, in 1996-97). Not to mention the Portuguese and Dutch teams, which were able to reach the final or even win the competition, as Ajax did in the 1994-95 season.

Yeah, we could say that, in some ways, the Champions League was much more unexpected. And it was surely more engaging for fans from countries like Greece, Poland, or Sweden.

Then rich got richer, and better

The 1997-1998 season of the Champions League was the one in which runners-up of eight domestic leagues entered into the competition for the first time. This could be seen as the start of transition to, what some expect, may end up with establishment of some kind of a super league for the richest teams.

In the following years, the tournament evolved to enable participation of up to four teams from the best leagues. It has been gradually getting more and more elitist, as it was more difficult for teams from weaker leagues to stand up to the giants from the West. Their road, not just to the final but also to the group stage, got longer and more bumpy.

Though it wasn’t rare for clubs from weaker leagues to advance from their groups, they very rarely made it to the quarter-finals. In fact since the 2013-14 season, only three teams managed to do that – Porto (2014-15), Benfica (2015-16), and Ajax (reached semi-final in 2018-19).

What does it mean for sports fans and betting?

As the divide between the richest leagues and all the rest is getting wider, it seems that fans from weaker leagues will have to accept that their teams will never reach the level of the Big Five leagues. The gap will probably be growing, and the rich will be getting richer and stronger, while all the rest will be left behind.

There will still be some exceptions to this rule, as teams from Portugal and the Netherlands will be occasionally able to reach final stages of the competition. At the end of the day, however, with all the resources and power concentrated in the top five countries, it seems that we’re moving towards some kind of a super league.

The fact that only top teams will be playing against each other will also influence betting. At the last stages of Champions League season, with the underdogs out, it will get increasingly rare to see odds higher than 2,5:1. Things will probably be getting more even, and the odds may start to look more like those in the NHL, where it’s often 2,1:1 for one team and 2,5:1 for the other. The art of setting the odds may get a bit tougher for bookmakers, as the outcomes of the games will often boil down to some nuance.

The more even the game, the harder it will be for players to guess who is going to win it. Some of them may even get discouraged because of the low odds. The other ones will get even more determined, and will keep looking for in-depth analysis and stats before placing their bets.

In any case, we can be sure that following and betting on Champions League games will never be the same again!

PROCESSING OF THE DATA

Pursuant to Article 13.1–13.2 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (“GDPR”), we would like to inform you as follows:
1) STATSCORE Sp. z o.o. with its registered office in Katowice 40-012 at ul. Dworcowa 2 is the controller of your personal data.
2) Your personal data will be processed for the purposes of the product trial process – in accordance with Article 6.1(a)–(b) of the GDPR.
3) Furnishing the personal data requested by STATSCORE about yourself is voluntary.
4) Your personal data will be retained for the duration of the Product development term but for no less than the retention period required under the law.
5) Your personal data will not be subject to automated decision-making or profiling.
6) You have the right to access the personal data held about you and to have your data rectified or erased or to restrict or to object to the processing as well as the right to data portability. If your personal data is processed under Article 6.1(a) of the GDPR (i.e. processed on the basis of the consent you have given to the processing), you may withdraw your consent at any time without any impact on the lawfulness of the processing carried out before your consent was withdrawn.
7) You may lodge a complaint in respect of the processing of the above data to the President of the Office for Personal Data Protection (PUODO).

If you want to get in touch to find out more, just contact our Customer Success Team at cst@statscore.com . We will be more than happy to schedule a call and discuss how STATSCORE’s services can help your organisation!

The post Champions League goes West. What does it mean for sports and betting? appeared first on STATSCORE.

The role of the leader is fascinating, complicated and difficult at the same time. Yet, quite surprisingly, many people get the impression that such work is simple. In the world of football, fans and journalists often think that manager’s role is as easy as playing a fantasy game, and consists only of buying and selling footballers. In business, lower-level employees tend to believe that the leader’s or manager’s role boils down to giving orders and judging effects.

The reality, however, is completely different. People forget how many factors define the manager’s role: they have to create environment for winners and successful players, face high expectations and obstacles, deal with constant stress and pressure, and stay at the highest level of concentration each day and hour, not only at work but during their whole day!

One of the world’s leading football leagues is an excellent source of good and bad examples of manager’s work. Today we’ll focus on the good ones.

Let us introduce you to 5 lessons from Premier League managers to business.

1. Develop individual management methods

When you look at managers in the Premier League, you can notice that each of them has a strong individuality. They have their own methods of management, unique rituals and work organization. Complex and high requirements often force them to take unconventional actions that may be incomprehensible, or even funny for some, but when they turn out to be effective, they inspire others and arouse admiration.

2. Make good use of being at the center of organization

The biggest clubs have an organizational model in which the manager is at the center of power. On one hand, he is accountable to the board and has direct contact with it. On the other hand, he often acts as a protective umbrella for footballers against journalists or criticizing fans. Skilful development of a strong position in all these situations may result in establishing great interpersonal relationships throughout the entire organization.

It is very similar in business. Manager stays in constant contact with the bosses and subordinates. He is reporting effects of department’s work and takes full responsibility for them. If he takes care of good employee management and is able to create a positive working atmosphere,  they will be more likely to deliver the best possible results. What’s more they will put great trust in their manager and will be grateful that they are properly represented.

3. Enjoy your role at the center

…and don’t worry that not everything depends on you. Weak managers don’t like it when the board are watching their work. Strong and smart managers are happy when it happens. When a board member pays attention the work and it effects, it’s a sign that he wants things to improve.

Moreover, it provides an opportunity to build a strong relationship. In effect, the work gets more effective and does not take place mechanically, but is supported by those positive interpersonal relationships. Operating at the center of organization is a difficult role, but at the same time it’s a huge privilege. It’s true that manager has to meet great challenges – but it’s also true that the most successful leaders always enjoy them.

4. Develop a common vision and set priorities

First of all, as it was mentioned above, ensure good relations with the management. Then focus on your team.

It is crucial to understand the intentions of the senior managers first. Then you can do the job with your team as well as possible, and as it’s expected. To establish a fruitful relationship with the owner, the condition of having common vision must be met. When it is agreed upon, the manager should confidently share it with the team. If it works, the owner will know that he employed the proper person who is well-prepared to do his job.

5. Be focused on personal relations

Great leaders are often great speakers. They are able to influence the masses. But is this a decisive factor?

History shows that establishing constructive relations with individual people is equally or even more important. People have emotions, their own priorities, thoughts, perspectives, needs and fears. Taking them into account quite often turns out to be a serious challenge, but when properly dealt with, it usually proves more fruitful than anything else.

Everyone is different and everyone needs attention, more or less. Leaders all over the world, no matter if in sport, business or politics, know that building and maintaining strong relationships is often the biggest challenges. They will also admit that people management is the most time-consuming and the most difficult part of their work.

Nowadays, we live in a communication chaos, with our lack of time, and constant rush. It is so easy to forget about basic relationships, not to mention the need of stopping for a moment and having some more profound conversations. However, when such personal relationships are built, then it is much easier to learn, for example, about the problems of subordinates. This in turn can make it easier to solve them. There’s no doubt that private matters are usually reflected in the effects of work, whether it’s on the pitch or at the office.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Mike Carson, The Manager: Inside the Minds of Football’s Leaders.

PROCESSING OF THE DATA

Pursuant to Article 13.1–13.2 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (“GDPR”), we would like to inform you as follows:
1) STATSCORE Sp. z o.o. with its registered office in Katowice 40-012 at ul. Dworcowa 2 is the controller of your personal data.
2) Your personal data will be processed for the purposes of the product trial process – in accordance with Article 6.1(a)–(b) of the GDPR.
3) Furnishing the personal data requested by STATSCORE about yourself is voluntary.
4) Your personal data will be retained for the duration of the Product development term but for no less than the retention period required under the law.
5) Your personal data will not be subject to automated decision-making or profiling.
6) You have the right to access the personal data held about you and to have your data rectified or erased or to restrict or to object to the processing as well as the right to data portability. If your personal data is processed under Article 6.1(a) of the GDPR (i.e. processed on the basis of the consent you have given to the processing), you may withdraw your consent at any time without any impact on the lawfulness of the processing carried out before your consent was withdrawn.
7) You may lodge a complaint in respect of the processing of the above data to the President of the Office for Personal Data Protection (PUODO).

If you want to get in touch to find out more, just contact our Customer Success Team at cst@statscore.com. We will be more than happy to schedule a call and discuss how STATSCORE’s services can help your organisation!

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