During the last decade in football, the slow demise of Serie A has left just two leagues competing for the tag of the ‘Greatest in the World’; the English Premier League and Spain’s La Liga.
Both have always figured amongst the ‘elite’ leagues in Europe and contain some of the biggest, well known, sporting giants of the world game. Between them, they have won the Continent’s biggest prize – the European Cup/Champions League, 24-times in the 56-year history of the competition (with the Spanish winning 13 and the English 11). Both leagues have also been home to some of the greatest players the world has ever seen, but presently, La Liga stands alone as the country of choice for the truly world class player. You see for all its glamour, excitement and competitiveness, the English Premier League lacks a legitimate world class player – and La Liga has them in abundance.
Don’t get me wrong, the Premier League currently contains some of the biggest names in the game, known globally with fans stretching from North America all the way to Japan. Names like Rooney, Gerrard, Tevez andTorres are worshipped, and are (form/injury permitting) indeed, fantastic players. But since 2009 when Cristiano Ronaldo chose to leave English shores, swapping Manchester for Madrid, the truly world class players all now ply their trade in La Liga. But why is this?
Is it the contrast in styles? The English league has always been the most physically demanding league in Europe, with its end-to-end, non-stop tempo and the never-say-die attitude of both players and fans alike, lead to a more exciting spectacle for a full 90-minutes. The speed and toughness was coupled with fair play which became another trade-mark of the league, leading to a vast respect around the world. When the Premier League era was established along with all the marketing glitz, hype and glamour, the money came pouring in, which in turn, led to a foreign influx at both playing and coaching level. Skill levels rose, as did professionalism in all areas, from the training to the dieticians. The game became more technical – but in this area the Premier League was still playing catch-up to much of the Continent and in particular, La Liga.
Not as tactically ‘shackled’ as Serie A, La Liga always prized itself on high levels of skill, technique and attacking verve. Fans would go to the stadiums to be entertained. For many, to win simply wasn’t enough – you had to win with style. A natural attraction occurred. Traditionally, the world’s greatest players have mostly been attack minded; ranging from offensive midfielders (and I don’t mean Joey Barton here) to forwards.