¡Fútbol!

Abstract

This article takes a novel approach to the study of discrimination in sports by looking at minutes played by strikers in the Union of European Football Associations Champions League over 1991-2011. We compare differences in minutes played between five ethnic groups: White Europeans, Black Europeans, Africans, White Latin Americans, and Black Latin Americans. We find evidence that White Latin Americans enjoy significantly less game time than White Europeans, while the opposite is true for Black Latin Americans. However, the inclusion of player fixed effects reveals that, after controlling for player ability, there is no evidence of discrimination in this competition.