Comparing league formats with respect to match importance: a case study in Belgian soccer
D. Goossens (Faculty of Business and Economics, K.U.Leuven) and J. Belien (Faculty of Business and Economics, K.U.Leuven)
Recently, most clubs in the highest Belgian soccer league became convinced that changes in the way the competition is played are needed. The top teams are looking for a stronger competition, in order to increase their chances on the European football scene. Smaller teams, however, are not fond of reducing the number of competitors. The TV station that is currently renegotiating its broadcasting contract is looking for a league format that is more attractive. We compare a number of league formats that are currently being considered by the Belgian Football Association (classic double round robin, round robin with playoffs, and the “plan Wijnants”) with respect to match importance.