Competitive Balance and the Reform of Seasonality in the Russian Professional Football

In: Moscow University Economics Bulletin, Band 2019, Heft 2, S. 99-115

Abstract

The article examines the results of the football reform in Russia associated with the change of the season of the Premier League championship. The data analysis shows a decrease in the level of competitive balance in Russian football after the calendar reform. The change in the degree of economic inequality of clubs at the same time, calculated on the basis of the transfer cost of clubs, showed that this inequality could not be the reason for the decrease in the level of competition. On the basis of the correlation and regression analysis, a positive correlation between the indicators of the national championship and the rating of the national team was established. Thus, we can talk about the negative impact of the calendar reform on the success of the Russian national team.