The Bundesliga, Germany's top football league, has seen a dismal performance from many of its teams in terms of goal difference. A staggering 66.6% of the teams have a negative goal difference, indicating that more than two-thirds of them are struggling to score or concede goals.
In comparison, the English Premier League fared slightly better, with only 14 out of 20 teams finishing with a negative goal difference in two seasons, albeit still a significant majority. The record for the highest percentage of negative goal differences is held by Division Three South in the 1952-53 season, where an astonishing 75% of teams were struggling to score or concede goals.
In Portugal's top flight, a similar trend can be seen, with only four out of 18 teams finishing with a positive goal difference. The same pattern was observed in the 2017-18 and 2009-10 seasons, with Benfica, Porto, Braga, and Sporting being the only teams to buck the trend.
The lowest percentage of teams with a positive goal difference is attributed to the 1990-91 season in Portugal, where only 20% of the 20 teams managed to score more goals than they conceded. This is likely due to the dominant performances of Benfica and Porto, who between them scored an impressive +128 goals.
In European football, other leagues have also seen a high percentage of negative goal differences. In Romania's Divizia A in 1988-89, only four out of 18 teams finished with a positive goal difference, although one team had a neutral goal difference due to the fact that they scored and conceded an equal number of goals.
The question also raises interesting connections between managers and their sons, with two instances of fathers and sons playing for different teams in the same league. However, another example of fathers and sons playing for the same team is less frequent, and only one instance was found to date.
Finally, several questions were submitted regarding record wins and losses, locations named after football clubs, managerial sackings, and unusual culinary crests on football club badges, but these will have to wait for a future edition.
In comparison, the English Premier League fared slightly better, with only 14 out of 20 teams finishing with a negative goal difference in two seasons, albeit still a significant majority. The record for the highest percentage of negative goal differences is held by Division Three South in the 1952-53 season, where an astonishing 75% of teams were struggling to score or concede goals.
In Portugal's top flight, a similar trend can be seen, with only four out of 18 teams finishing with a positive goal difference. The same pattern was observed in the 2017-18 and 2009-10 seasons, with Benfica, Porto, Braga, and Sporting being the only teams to buck the trend.
The lowest percentage of teams with a positive goal difference is attributed to the 1990-91 season in Portugal, where only 20% of the 20 teams managed to score more goals than they conceded. This is likely due to the dominant performances of Benfica and Porto, who between them scored an impressive +128 goals.
In European football, other leagues have also seen a high percentage of negative goal differences. In Romania's Divizia A in 1988-89, only four out of 18 teams finished with a positive goal difference, although one team had a neutral goal difference due to the fact that they scored and conceded an equal number of goals.
The question also raises interesting connections between managers and their sons, with two instances of fathers and sons playing for different teams in the same league. However, another example of fathers and sons playing for the same team is less frequent, and only one instance was found to date.
Finally, several questions were submitted regarding record wins and losses, locations named after football clubs, managerial sackings, and unusual culinary crests on football club badges, but these will have to wait for a future edition.