According to a recent study, there is almost no home advantage in professional football anymore. The increasing professionalism and psychological support of players mean that they are hardly distracted by external influences. Researchers from Ghent University in Belgium analyzed the results of 320 games played between 2010 and 2017 in the knockout rounds of the Champions League and Europa League. The supposedly crucial home advantage did not exist, as the team playing the second game in their own stadium only reached the next round in 48.8% of cases, while teams playing away in the second game advanced in 51.2% of cases. The authors of the study suggest that other factors, such as an aggressive playing style, can negate any potential home advantage.
However, a more extensive study published in the International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology in 2014 contradicts these findings. The study analyzed 170,000 games from 157 football leagues and found that home advantage was present in some leagues, with teams in Ghana, Indonesia, Bolivia, and Algeria achieving between 70 and 80% of their points at home. The researchers suggest that the better results are not due to the presence of fans but rather the long travel times for the opposing team.
The decreasing influence of home advantage is attributed to the increasing professionalism in the sport, with players receiving psychological support to reduce the impact of external factors. However, there are differences between league and tournament games, with a single league game having less impact on the overall season than a loss in a tournament, which can result in immediate elimination and higher pressure.
In conclusion, while some studies suggest that home advantage still exists in certain leagues, the increasing professionalism and psychological support of players mean that external factors have less impact on the game. The home advantage may be negated by other factors, such as an aggressive playing style, and the impact may vary between league and tournament games.
