The Influence of Domestic Players on the Success in National and International Competitions in Football

Sport is an integral part of modern people’s lives. However, it is also an important business area requiring specific management approaches. This article focuses on the issues of sports management and human capital. The main goal was to analyse the influence of domestic and foreign athletes playing football in teams in the best national leagues on the success in national and international competitions (UEFA Euro, FIFA World Cup). The analysis was based on panel data from five selected countries (England, Germany, Italy, Spain, and France) in the seasons from 2009/10 to 2018/19. The research sample included 980 football teams. The hypotheses were focused on the impact of the percentage of domestic and foreign athletes and their presence in the matches on the success of the clubs and teams in the selected competitions. These were tested using a statistical algorithm including the Pooled linear regression model, Fixed effects models, Random effects models, and the ANOVA test. Main findings confirmed that if there is an effort to have more domestic players on the rosters, this has a positive effect on the success in the national league. They also revealed that the clubs and teams use the proportion of domestic and foreign athletes and their deployment in the matches as a crucial decision within the human capital management. The study draws the conclusion that clubs and associations should create opportunities for the domestic athletes in the matches to support their growth with positive effects on sport success, national pride, and fans’ satisfaction. JEL Classification: C12, Z2, L83, O52, O15, C23.