Figure 1
A scatter plot represents the relationship between seasons and mean minutes played by the 50 most-utilized players. The horizontal axis represents the seasons from 1970 to 2020, and the vertical axis represents the mean minutes played, ranging from 3500 to 5500 minutes. The plot includes two datasets: one for all leagues and one for the top 5 European leagues. The data points for all leagues are shown in blue, and the data points for the top 5 leagues are shown in green. Each observation corresponds to a football season from 1975/76 to 2023/24. The plot also includes two linear fit lines: one in red for all leagues and one in orange for the top 5 leagues. The data points for all leagues show a slight upward trend over time, indicating an increase in mean minutes played. The data points for the top 5 leagues also show an upward trend, but with a steeper slope compared to all leagues. Mean minutes played by season by the 50 most-utilized players. Note: The figure reports the average number of minutes played per season by the 50 most-utilized players in each year, computed separately for Top 5 European leagues and All Leagues. Minutes refer to domestic league matches only (excluding cup and international competitions). Each observation corresponds to a football season from 1975/76 to 2023/24. Source: Authors' elaboration based on Transfermarkt data