Appraising THE Economic Efficiency OF European FOOTBALL TEAMS: Evidence FROM Covid-19 CRISIS Using Data Envelop Analysis

Abstract

This paper evaluates the economic efficiency of European football teams and examines the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on their performance indicators. 48 teams from Bundesliga, La Liga, Premier League, Serie A, and Ligue 1 are selected for appraising their efficiencies using the Malmquist DEA approach. The Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) using the Malmquist index (MI) was used to evaluate the teams' performance before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, among others. The findings revealed that teams reacted differently to the pandemic's challenges. Among other results, the study found no significant difference in teams’ performance before and during COVID-19 global pandemic. The findings provide insights for the economic efficiency of European football teams in providing information for comparative analysis to technical managers, investors, and other stakeholders regarding teams’ performance.