‘You can look, but don’t touch’: competitive balance and dominance in the UEFA Champions League

Figures & data

Table 1. Summary of past competitive balance research in European football.

Author(s)	Leagues examined	Timeframe	Findings
Szymanski (2001)	English first division (men)	1978–1998	No changes in CB
Mitchie and Oughton (2004)	French first division (men)	1948–2004	No changes in CB
Feddersen and Maennig (2005)	German first division (men)	1969–2004	No changes in CB
Goossens (2006)	Top 5 European leagues (men)	1964–2005	Decline in English and Italian first divisions
Groot (2008)	Top 5 European leagues (men)	1946–2006	Decline in English, German, Italian and Dutch first divisions
Kringstad (2018)	Top divisions of Sweden, Denmark and Norway (men and women)	1995–2015	Significant difference between men’s and women’s football
Montes et al. (2014)	Spanish first division (men)	1928–2011	Decline in top 5 European leagues
Ramchandani et al. (2018)	Top 5 European leagues (men)	1995–2018	Decline in top 5 European leagues
Plumley et al. (2018)	English Premier Division (men)	1992–2016	Decline in English Premier Division
Vales-Vazquez et al. (2017)	Top divisions of Spain (men and women)	2015	Significant difference between men’s and women’s football

Table 2. Format of the Champions League by season.

Season	Teams Entered	Groups	Round of 16	Quarter Finals	Semi-Finals	Final
1992–93	32	2*	No	No	No	Yes
1993–94	32	2*	No	No	Yes	Yes
1994–95	16	4	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
1995–96	16	4	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
1996–97	16	4	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
1997–98	24	6	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
1998–99	24	6	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
1999–00	32	8	Yes^#	Yes	Yes	Yes
2000–01	32	8	Yes^#	Yes	Yes	Yes
2001–02	32	8	Yes^#	Yes	Yes	Yes
2002–03	32	8	Yes^#	Yes	Yes	Yes
2003–04	32	8	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
2004–05	32	8	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
2005–06	32	8	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
2006–07	32	8	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
2007–08	32	8	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
2008–09	32	8	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
2009–10	32	8	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
2010–11	32	8	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
2011–12	32	8	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
2012–13	32	8	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
2013–14	32	8	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
2014–15	32	8	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
2015–16	32	8	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
2016–17	32	8	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
2017–18	32	8	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
2018–19	32	8	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
2019–20	32	8	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

*In this season, there were two knock-out rounds organized prior to the group stage, with only eight teams qualifying for the group stage. These eight teams were divided into two groups of four and the winner of each group progressed straight to the final.

^#In this season, the round of 16 was contested as a second group stage (i.e. four groups of four teams), with the top two teams in each group progressing to the quarter-finals.

Table 3. HICB scores by Champions League group from 1992/93 to 2019/20.

Season	Group A	Group B	Group C	Group D	Group E	Group F	Group G	Group H
1992/93	120.83	143.06
1993/94	123.61	106.94
1994/95	112.50	138.89	109.72	127.27
1995/96	111.13	138.78	122.79	141.41
1996/97	116.67	128.03	134.95	128.98
1997/98	127.46	138.89	107.81	121.58	111.11	134.26
1998/99	103.95	101.33	130.80	114.84	104.68	112.76
1999/00	121.09	133.59	109.33	114.19	121.14	113.28	131.95	105.47
2000/01	126.64	125.06	113.31	101.74	104.89	108.36	111.35	110.16
2001/02	120.31	112.50	105.56	105.88	110.03	138.89	108.64	135.16
2002/03	104.68	147.29	109.18	110.30	112.11	121.14	123.18	143.25
2003/04	102.48	101.74	119.38	115.70	130.94	133.59	112.76	103.21
2004/05	120.42	125.99	134.26	128.72	118.63	114.19	143.25	112.76
2005/06	144.65	145.82	128.03	104.89	110.56	134.26	118.64	116.13
2006/07	134.95	114.84	115.57	122.66	135.16	105.47	115.70	108.64
2007/08	105.88	110.16	111.29	109.39	122.49	147.40	137.02	145.33
2008/09	114.19	103.64	128.98	134.07	107.56	138.28	122.31	125.78
2009/10	145.33	115.57	115.70	139.84	144.65	109.47	124.22	121.09
2010/11	110.16	114.19	138.28	131.25	123.10	138.89	130.80	138.89
2011/12	134.95	103.64	135.16	156.40	114.84	109.09	104.47	142.97
2012/13	145.33	120.84	110.16	133.59	126.72	125.06	118.34	115.27
2013/14	132.60	131.13	128.03	144.44	116.44	133.33	133.59	118.64
2014/15	117.22	143.25	108.36	137.74	124.52	145.33	124.22	123.05
2015/16	144.65	112.11	121.09	112.80	121.96	122.22	134.95	123.10
2016/17	146.93	107.80	132.81	137.72	116.13	134.07	136.27	139.94
2017/18	138.89	144.44	122.79	134.80	120.00	127.78	128.19	159.04
2018/19	137.74	128.13	109.83	139.10	142.88	123.56	105.47	112.11
2019/20	152.34	146.61	119.53	130.94	133.33	128.19	103.95	125.99

Figure 1. Mean HICB scores for the champions League group stages from 1992/93 to 2019/20.

Figure 2. HICB comparison under the pre-FFP and post-FFP eras.

Figure 3. Countries represented as semi-finalists, runners up and winners in the Champions League between 1992/93 and 2019/20.

Note. The categories in Figure 3 are mutually exclusive so that there is no double counting of achievements, e.g., winners are also not counted as runners-up or semi-finalists.

Figure 4. Countries represented in the semi-finals and as winners of the Champions League pre and post FFP.

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