Match-Fixing in Cyprus: Examining the Impact on Fans’ Soccer Attendance

Name: Andreas Xenofontos
Major: Economics
Minor: Theatre and Dance
Advisor: Dr. Brooke Krause
Soccer is by far the most famous sport in Cyprus. Fans are emotionally attached to their teams and may be deeply disappointed and discouraged when something does not go as planned for their favorite team. This disappointment stems mainly from unrelated athletic repercussions such as multiple match-fixing soccer scandals that receive huge amounts of publicity. Cyprus has been suffering from numerous match-fixing cases, many of which have seen the light of publicity. This research paper examines how match-fixing occurs through theoretical microeconomic framework and empirically investigates the impact of match-fixing on fans’ attendance in Cypriot soccer using ordinary least squares, linear probability model and Poisson regression techniques. Based on the survey responses of 558 Cypriot soccer fans, the empirical results show statistically significant relationship that match fixing and corruption through referee bribing negatively impact fans’ soccer attendance. The reduction in attendance shows that fans want a change and is a direct call to restore transparency in the Cypriot soccer. To the best of my knowledge, there have been no previous studies examining the phenomenon of match-fixing and fans’ attendance through quantitative analysis.