A performance index of football teams: the Spanish case

In this article, we propose an index to measure the performance of the Spanish Football league most important teams during the 2016/2017 season. Using data from 10 Spanish first division football clubs, and principal components analysis, we construct a performance index as a combination of five dimensions: economic, fans-related, historical, team quality and the season’s data, along with 22 variables. Results show that Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Athletic de Madrid are the highest-ranked teams, matching their season’s top positions. Additionally, while Sevilla, Villarreal, Real Sociedad and Espanyol exceeded expectations, Athletic de Bilbao, Valencia and Real Betis did not meet their own, compared with their season’s position. This Performance Index of Football Teams could assist club’s decisions designed to improve their performance in different dimensions