A new season of European competitions is about to enter its decisive stage, but it continues to repeat a scene that has become increasingly common: to see a Spanish team rising as monarch of the continent. Last season was no exception, Real Madrid has been crowned champion of the Champions almost predestined; while Atletico Madrid was champion practically without any competition on the road in the Europa League.
If we look at what have been the two major European competitions (UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League) since the beginning of the century, we will see a clear dominance of Spanish clubs; a tendency that in several stages of the last century have become hegemonies. Since the 2000-2001 season the Spanish clubs have been crowned 18 times continental monarchs (9 UCL and 9 UEL), well above the English clubs that have done so 6 times (3 UCL and 3 UEL). And what better shows that what is happening now, where the last 5 champions of the Champions have been Spanish and 4 of the last 5 winners of the Europa League also.
We see that there is a very big difference, so if we could talk about a notorious supremacy of Spanish football in the European context, in contrast to the rest of the leagues. Does this mean then that the Spanish League is the best on the planet? What factors have contributed to this broad Spanish domain in Europe?
Is La Liga the best football league in the world?
The answer is simple: No. I know that analyzing the data presented above sounds illogical this reasoning, but to understand this we must understand the context of what is expected from a domestic competition. Take as a comparative example the Premier League of England, which for many is the best league on the planet.
Like many others, I think the Premier is the best league in the world. Unlike the Spanish League where Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético play a separate tournament; in England parity is the most outstanding. Sure, I know that this season is not the best to make the comparison as the City of Guardiola dominated pleasure from end to end, but if you look at previous years, parity dominates in England. It is very difficult for a champion to repeat the title in consecutive years or to draw big differences of points, because all the teams are even. The West Bromwich Albion, who descended, is perfectly capable of making a match and even beat any of the big teams that lead the table; something that is almost unimaginable that happens in Spain, because for Huesca to have a remote possibility of beating Barcelona, all the stars must be aligned.
Another thing that makes the Premier League more attractive is the level of their matches. Hardly any of us would be complete a Deportivo - Las Palmas, it is simply a deplorable game with two teams without level. But if we go to the Premier and sit down to see a Huddersfield Town - Brighton, it turns out to be a thrilling game of many goals and offensive actions. The truth is that most matches are like that in the Premier League, which is extremely entertaining for the fan in general.
One aspect that greatly benefits the Premier is that it is a league much more organized as a show. English football television broadcasts are simply the best in Europe, because the Premier League, as a product, sells better than any other. No wonder then that it is the most watched domestic competition worldwide, in addition to having the most expensive television rights. Something that catches my attention in England is the quality of its stadiums, even the humblest club has a dignified and well-kept venue, which is very appealing to the television viewer.
The English have understood that football is also a spectacle, and they have known how to exploit that spectacle like nobody else. And the best thing is the equity in the economic aspect that exists between all English clubs, since the profits of television rights are shared equally among the 20 clubs that make up the First Division, which allows them to have more money to sign players; something that does not happen in Spain, where Real Madrid and Barcelona divide 80% of the television profits, while the other 18 clubs must share the miserable 20% remaining.
With regard to entertainment, entertainment, football and competitiveness, there is no better league than the Premier League.
Why Spanish clubs dominate in Europe?
I know it sounds illogical after saying that a Deportivo - Las Palmas is a disgusting match, but if we put those two clubs that went down in Spain to play against any English half-board team, the Spaniards would win without hesitation. This has to do with the quality of the Spanish teams themselves, that is, their football is simply better, more technical and tactical.
Here comes into play the style of English football, where most clubs play pelotazo and to run, which is the cause of their entertaining games of many goals. But doing a more thorough analysis we realize that this also happens because most English clubs do not know how to defend. And of course, this takes its toll when they go to the European context and they encounter teams that overcome them in a technical and tactical sense, that they only have to stand up well in defense and attack with order so that they have to return humiliated to their island, such as happened to Manchester United against Sevilla, or to Arsenal against Atlético.
Another thing that catches my attention from the English, and that also causes their European failures, is that they give much more importance to their domestic competitions than the Champions League. It does not mean that Europe is the same, but for them it is more important to be Champions of the Premier than of Champions, or for a medium-sized club to be FA Cup champion rather than of the Europa League. Not to mention that they are probably the worst league buying players, since the same economic equality that all clubs present, is the cause of spending absurd amounts of money per jugadorsitos that ultimately turn out to be authentic failures. Something that does not happen in Spain, where the amount of budget that small and medium-sized clubs have is so limited, that they are very thorough when buying players, which means that from time to time they find themselves with real pearls for amounts that then they turn out to be insignificant.
All these factors make the Spanish League, despite not being the best in competitiveness, eye candy, entertainment, marketing or organization; be the one that dominates European football. And it seems that this trend will not change very soon, because the Spanish clubs continue to win, winning and winning; every year that passes, they gain more strength, while other leagues are lagging behind. Everything seems to indicate that the Spaniards will continue being the kings of the continent for many years.
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