Which league is the best? – the players & teams (Video)
Whilst the English Premier League is the self-proclaimed greatest league in the world, and attracts the most viewers from a worldwide audience, is it actually the best league regarding quality of players, teams and football played, or is it just that the increased media coverage makes people believe that it is the finest on offer? I decided to compare it with other European leagues by looking at the players and teams that ply their trade in each country.
This is a very difficult category to judge, not least because it changes so quickly as teams go through phases of winning and dominating before another team comes along to become number one. Up until last season it would have been very easy to say that La Liga was the outright winner, due to the brilliance of Barcelona over the past four years and the supremely talented Real Madrid squad also doing well. However, the humiliation that Barcelona suffered at the hands of Bayern Munich, combined with Borussia Dortmund defeating Real Madrid, meant that we witnessed an all-German Champions League final.
Another criticism labelled at the Spanish league is that it is a two-horse race from the beginning, with Atletico Madrid, Malaga and other sides battling it out for a third place finish. Therefore the overall depth of competition provided by the players and teams is limited, especially when you consider that teams as far down as the relegation zone in the Premier League can cause upsets against the top sides.
English teams have failed to live up to expectations in Europe recently and many fans point the finger at the increased competitiveness of the domestic league for this. Whilst Arsenal may have to battle to win a point at Stoke, for example, Barcelona are comfortably putting four or five past a rival in their division and therefore are not as physically or mentally tired for their midweek game. There is some validity to this argument but the general consensus is that English teams are beginning to fall behind their European rivals due to a lack of stability regarding management and personnel. German and Spanish clubs are developing their own players, with clubs maintaining strong identities and philosophies.
The media coverage afforded to the Premier League allows it to attract players from all over the world. Whilst the top two or three teams in Germany and Spain can also sign players from any continent that they desire, the rest of the teams are predominantly built around domestic players. This is something that doesn’t happen in England, as nearly all clubs in the Premier League are multi-national. Whether the imports are actually better than the domestic players is another argument, but it is probably the only league where smaller clubs can attract foreign players of a decent standard.
However, due to the German success last year, and the fact that the Premier League isn’t a two horse race, I am going to say that this one is a draw.
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