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arXiv · 1911.04689

Maximizing performance with an eye on the finances: a chance-constrained model for football transfer market decisions

Giovanni Pantuso·Lars Magnus Hvattum
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Abstract

Composing a team of professional players is among the most crucial decisions in association football. Nevertheless, transfer market decisions are often based on myopic objectives and are questionable from a financial point of view. This paper introduces a chance-constrained model to provide analytic support to club managers during transfer windows. The model seeks a top-performing team while adapting to different budgets and financial-risk profiles. In addition, it provides a new rating system that is able to numerically reflect the on-field performance of football players and thus contribute to an objective assessment of football players. The model and rating system are tested on a case study based on real market data. The data from the case study are available online for the benefit of future research.

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Giovanni Pantuso, Lars Magnus Hvattum. 2019-11-10. Maximizing performance with an eye on the finances: a chance-constrained model for football transfer market decisions. https://arxiv.org/abs/1911.04689

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