Abstract
This study perceives professional European football as one of the most relevant event-related entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) worldwide. It also identifies a healthy sporting competition in the five most popular European football leagues (Spain, England, Germany, Italy, and France), the “big five,” as a key pillar for the functioning of this ecosystem. By applying a quantitative approach, competitive intensity (CI) is measured for all big five leagues for 21 seasons (1998/99 to 2018/19). The chosen method does not only convey an overall indication of the competitive health of the entire league but also provides detailed information on the four important sub-competitions (championship race, qualification for Champions League or Europa League, and the fight against relegation). In all five leagues, seasonal CI tends to decrease over time, and especially over the last decade. The main reason is a decline in the intensity of the championship race while all other sub-competitions show relatively robust CI values. Overall, it can be concluded that the competitive health of the big five is intact, but the dwindling CI of the championship races can harm the EE of professional European football in the long run. Accordingly, it should be closely monitored in the future.
Highlights
Professional football in Europe has developed into a multi-billion euro business [1]and its “social and political significance [ . . . ] has increasingly been recognized” [2] (p. 3).This relevance is closely linked to a continuous flow of innovative ideas in terms of new services and products
This means that the European football system is inherently innovative and growth-oriented because promotion to the highest national level and eventually participation in the European Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)
Even though growth orientation and innovativeness are central characteristics of entrepreneurial ecosystems [3,4], this is neither the only nor the most relevant reason why we propose to understand the multi-faceted ecosystem of professional European football as an entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE)
Summary
Professional football in Europe has developed into a multi-billion euro business [1]and its “social and political significance [ . . . ] has increasingly been recognized” [2] (p. 3).This relevance is closely linked to a continuous flow of innovative ideas in terms of new services and products. Examples are new ways of bringing the matches to the fans (like streaming or second screening), new (electronic) ways of distributing tickets, engaging with fans over social media, opening up to eSports, etc. Having this in mind, it has to be noted that the national league systems in European football are limited open leagues, with promotion and relegation that extend from the lowest amateur leagues to the highest levels of professional football. Even though growth orientation and innovativeness are central characteristics of entrepreneurial ecosystems [3,4], this is neither the only nor the most relevant reason why we propose to understand the multi-faceted ecosystem of professional European football as an entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
