THE CHANGING DYNAMICS OF PLAYER-AGENT RELATIONSHIPS IN PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL

Abstract

The negative reputation of football agents worldwide has been well documented. The large sums of money they cost both football clubs and football players alike is a cause

for concern. In the light of data analytics being able to determine player market value, the purpose of this research is to investigate how much data analytics will reduce the need for players to have agents as their representatives. Using a cross-sectional analysis, the study analyzed football players and football agents from the United Kingdom and Ireland and compared results to work from previous research. During the course of this study it was found that both football players and agents believe that in due time data analytics will reduce the need for agents. This study definitively answers the question regarding whether agency costs will be eliminated through the advent of analytics. Further studies will be needed to develop the work carried out here.