Probably the Best League in the World

European Leagues / Alsy / 02 December 2007 / 5 Comments

Alsy wonders whether the Premier League really deserves the tag of best in the world...

"Everyone thinks they have they have the prettiest wife at home". Arsene Wenger's vintage response to Sir Alex Ferguson followed accusations that his Arsenal side was full of belligerent "scrappers". Wenger's quote could just as easily be applied to the FA Premier League of late. Since England made an ignominious exit from Euro 2008, the return to domestic football has provided a welcome fillip to depressed fans. Sky, BBC and Setanta tell us that, despite lacking the managerial genius of Steve McClaren, the Premiership is the best and most competitive league in the world. Are they right or is this another example of English football fans having ideas above their station?

Devising a criterion for the world's 'best' league is no easy task but we can simplify, focusing just on Europe by virtue of the fact that the world's best players invariably find their way here. Admittedly it's a big assumption, especially when you consider that South American teams regularly win the Intercontinental Cup, but Europe's ability to attract worldwide talent speaks volumes.

If imported talent is a measure of success then Spain's La Liga does well but the FA Premiership is in a league of its own with 50.57% players coming from overseas. Foreign players increase competition for English players but there's a counter argument that too many foreign players are not always good for the game. In Italy falling attendances have been attributed in part to high foreign imports and the League that instigated Europe's foreign invasion in the 1980s is now heading in another direction. Juventus (who signed John Charles in 1957 for a record fee and never looked back) now has a team virtually free of foreign imports.

The Bundesliga wins plaudits for producing exciting football without many foreign stars. Tickets are relatively cheap and games well attended but is this league genuinely competitive? I think not... since 1998 Bayern Munich has won six titles out of a possible nine. Bayern currently top the Bundesliga (courtesy of many newly-imported players) dominating their league more than Manchester United, Lyon and Real Madrid have respectively. Bayern in Germany, Madrid and Barcelona in Spain, Lyon in France, Manchester in England, Milan and now Inter in Italy - often one or two teams monopolise for years so judging competitiveness is always difficult.

Old school dominance is reflected in the short prices for these teams to win additional titles. Lyon [1.19], Bayern Munich [1.37] and Manchester United [2.76] are all favourites in their respective leagues proving that it's extremely difficult for any team to make an impact against the well established giants.

Fans are perhaps the best judges of competitive football. The Premiership beats its rivals averaging a gate of 36,000 per team. Its nearest rival is the Bundesliga (35,000) followed by La Liga (30,000), Serie A (23,000) and Ligue 1 (21,000) but these figures take little account of population size in general.

If money talks then the Premiership has plenty to shout about. The Premiership pays higher wages, spends more on transfers and attracts more money (via broadcasting and marketing) than its European rivals, while the top 20 list of the world's richest teams boasts eight Premiership teams (Italy is next with four representatives).

However, if the Premiership is the best, most competitive league in the Europe why have English teams only won the Champions League twice in the last ten years? In mitigation, English clubs dominated before their ban from Europe and are enjoying increased success with teams in the last three Champions League finals.
The Champions League 'Winning Nation' market puts England [2.66] in pole position and with Manchester, Arsenal and Chelsea currently cruising it looks a decent price. Manchester [7.0] and Arsenal [10.5] offer better individual odds, but I favour Chelsea [10.0] if Drogba returns fit from the African Nations.
An English victory would cement the Premiership's position as the world's best league or am I missing something? Let me know which league gets your vote and why?

Comments (5)

1. Marc L | 03 December 2007

   For me it is a tough call between the EPL and La Liga... and this year may actually be the first that the EPL is a genuine contender.

   This is because of the number of teams outside of the so called 'top 4' that are playing good football and actually look to have taken some big steps foward - Man City, Portsmouth, Everton, Villa. All of these teams are looking much stronger and contribute hugely to the overall strength of the league.

   You said: "However, if the Premiership is the best, most competitive league in Europe why have English teams only won the Champions League twice in the last ten years?"

   For me it is quite simple..

   1) At the end of the day it is a cup competition and a grueling one at that.

   2) The EPL is so competitive that winning both the EPL and CL is almost impossible. It is no surprise that Liverpool won the CL when they finished 5th in the EPL! Arsenal reached the final for the first time, a year when they were not challenging for the league! Man Utd lost last year, partly to do with their focus being on the league, their opponents AC Milan were only focusing on the CL.

2. apal | 03 December 2007

   If you multiply the skill of the players by the atmosphere inside stadia then there is only one winner and that is the Bundesliga.

   And the main reason is that you can still stand up to watch the games. The atmosphere in 99 per cent of Premiership games is sterile and Germany has fans who get behind their teams...unlike Newcastle. I agreee 100 per cent (for once) with Joey Barton.

   Viva Germany!

3. Marc L | 03 December 2007

   To apal -

   Sorry mate but if Bayern were getting battered week after week I am pretty sure the supporters would not be happy and would voice their thoughts.

   The only fans who do not voice their opinions (against their own team or manager) during bad runs are the ones who lack ambition or are realistic about what their club can achieve. Big Sam was brought in to do good things at Newcastle, but appears to have done exactly the opposite. Do you expect Newcastle fans to sit there and be happy with their clubs current situation?

   After the 4-1 home defeat to Portsmouth or the 2-1 defeat from Reading did you expect the fans to turn around and be like "great game, we tried really hard and put in a good effort - maybe next time".

   It is the fans who truly care that get upset and voice their opinions.

4. apal | 03 December 2007

   To Marc L,

   I think Newcastle fans overreacted to the situation against Liverpool and I'm sorry to say showed a lack of understanding about football.

   Prior to the Portsmouth game they had won four consecutive home matches beating Tottenham, Everton, West Ham and Wigan. The Portsmouth game can be viewed as a freak result considering Pompey's first goal was a long range speculative effort and three minutes later they were 3-0 down. Not many sides come back from that.

   The treatment Big Sam got was uncalled for and showed a lack of maturity from the fans.

   The important word is 'supporters' and I don't think the vast majority of these fans supported their side.

   Too many fans attend the game these days to be entertained and some believe they have the right and knowledge to pick the team and decide tactics. Did great managers like Paisley, Busby, Shankley, Wenger, Ferguson or Clough ever listen to the crowd or public opinion?

5. Wizard of Odds | 06 December 2007

   Traditionally at this time of year we are optimistic about English teams chances in European competition. By May we are usually frustrated and questioning whether our top teams play too many games. The EPL is the best in terms of entertainment, rivalries and this year competitiveness. We will continue to underperform when the knockout stages are reached and at national level until the League and Cup structures are altered. With Sky calling the shots I doubt this will ever happen.