The Excitement of the EFL Championship
The EFL Championship is one of the most exciting football leagues in the world. Year after year, it delivers goals, surprises, overachieving and underperforming teams, and a young gem on the brink of breaking into the Premier League. Just look at recent examples like Eberechi Eze, James Maddison, Michael Olise, and Ben White. Relegated teams from the Premier League often bounce straight back up.
Season Overview
With the 46 league games of the Championship now complete after a long, tiring, and tough season for all involved, we decided to dive into the numbers. Football at the top level is one of the most lucrative industries in the world, leading to incredibly high wages for some of the best players. But are clubs getting value for their money? Using data from Transfermarkt and Capology, we analysed the wages spent by every Championship side last season to see how this correlated with the points earned throughout the season.
Leicester City: The Big Spenders
Leicester City, with players like Jamie Vardy, Harry Winks, Kelechi Iheanacho, Ricardo Pereira, and Conor Coady, unsurprisingly spent €685,211.64 on wages per point earned in their promotion-winning season. Their 31 wins and four draws accumulated 97 points, securing them the Championship title with the league’s best goals scored to conceded ratio of 2.17. In total, Leicester paid out £66,465,529 in wages for the season.
Ipswich Town: Promoted on a Budget
In comparison, Kieran McKenna’s newly promoted Ipswich finished second on 96 points. Remarkably, they ranked 23rd out of 24 teams in terms of money spent on wages per point. Ipswich spent £139,368.67 on wages per point, creating a stark difference of £445,487.10 compared to Championship winners Leicester.
Playoff Contenders: Southampton and Leeds
Meanwhile, Southampton and Leeds, who faced off in the Championship Playoff Final, rank second and third in wages spent per point earned. Southampton spent £434,819.17 in their first season back in the Championship, while Leeds spent £403,200.09. Both teams, relegated last season from the Premier League, had hopes of bouncing back rather than facing another costly year in the Championship. However, Russell Martin was able to steer his Saints back to the Premier League at the first time of trying.
The Relegation Battle
Plymouth, who managed to avoid relegation with 51 points, spent the least amount per point earned at £137,024.09. On the other hand, relegated sides Rotherham (£314,878.37), Birmingham (£268,305.92), and Huddersfield (£244,159.33) spent considerably more yet still faced the drop. The difference between Leicester, who spent the most per point earned, and Plymouth, who spent the least, is £447,831.68.
Value for Money
Clubs such as Plymouth (£137,024.09), Ipswich (£139,368.67), Coventry (£153,419.21), Preston (£165,501.66), Sunderland (£168,181.12), Blackburn (£178,599.00), and Bristol City (£188,666.10) all spent considerably less than the three relegated sides.
The analysis of wages spent per point earned in the EFL Championship highlights the stark differences in financial efficiency among the clubs. Leicester City's substantial investment paid off with a Championship title, while Ipswich Town's frugality also brought success with their promotion. The contrasting fortunes of teams like Plymouth, who spent the least per point, and the relegated clubs displays the unpredictable and competitive nature of the league. As we look forward to the next season, it will be intriguing to see how clubs manage their finances in pursuit of footballing success.
METHODOLOGY
The objective of this project was to evaluate the financial efficiency of football teams in the Championship league by analysing the correlation between the wages paid to players and the points earned during the season.
The study aimed to determine how much money teams spend on player wages for each point they secure, thereby assessing their spending efficiency.
Data Collection
Sources of Data
Data was sourced from two primary platforms:
- Transfermarkt: Provided comprehensive data on teams, their market values, and squad details.
- Capology: Offers detailed information on the wages paid to players.
Data Acquisition Techniques
- Python was used to scrape the required data.
Data Processing and Storage
Data Handling
- After scraping, data was cleaned and structured using Python to ensure consistency and accuracy. This process involved removing any anomalies or errors in the data, ensuring that only valid and relevant data was processed further.
Data Storage
- Google Sheets was employed for storing the cleaned data. This tool was chosen for its accessibility and functionality, allowing for effective data organisation and easy access for analysis purposes. The data was presented in tabular form, enabling straightforward updates and manipulation.
Data Analysis
Tools and Techniques
- The primary analysis was conducted using Python in conjunction with Google Sheets. Python's powerful analytical capabilities, combined with the user-friendly interface of Google Sheets, facilitated a comprehensive analysis of the data.
Calculation of Key Metrics
- Money Spent per Point: Calculated by dividing the total annual wages paid to players by the number of points the team earned in the season. This metric serves as an indicator of how efficiently teams manage their financial resources relative to their performance on the pitch.
- Scored vs. Conceded Ratio: This additional metric was calculated to evaluate the team's performance efficiency by comparing the number of goals scored to the number of goals conceded.
