Does Selection Bias Matter in Football Players’ Valuation? A Crowdsourced Valuation Approach on Players’ Athletic Characteristics

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe paper analyzes the influence of football players’ athletic characteristics on their corresponding market values. To measure players’ market values, we use estimates of market values by experts from a crowdsourced, international frequently cited sport-database (Transfermarkt.de). Therefore, market values reflect the expectations of stakeholders in the football industry involved in transfers and give implications for future transfer prices. We use a unique data-set including 915 players of the First and Second German Bundesliga and analyze by using ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions the influence of players’ minutes played, days injured, amount of goals and assists, yellow cards, dismissals, and titles won on their market values. Players’ minutes played, goals scored, assists scored, and titles won have a significant positive influence on their market values. Players who are more often injured have higher market values than players who are less often injured.