Something that La Liga does have, undeniably, is the best two players in the world currently playing their trade in Spain, and I would argue have more ‘special’ players than the Premier League do. There are 13 Ballon d’or nominees from La Liga on the short list, 8 Barcelona ones and 5 from Real. England cannot compete with this by a long shot. In the Premier League there is Rooney, Silva and a couple more at a push, yet do these players hold a candle to Higuain, Messi, Ronaldo, Xavi, Kaka or Iniesta? There are some exceptional players in Spain at the minute who make the game a joy to watch.
Along with the best players, La Liga also has by far the two best teams in the world at the minute, and I defy anyone to disagree with that. If you put Barcelona in any league during the past 5 years, they would win it four out of those five times – if not five. Arguably the best club side the world has ever seen, no side in the Premier League can come close to both playing the way they do and making a clean sweep of the trophies.
The gulf in class between the Champions of each respective league was clear to see last May, with the Barca team passing around the United team like they were school boys. At this point, if any City fan wishes to say their team has a greater strength in depth than Barcelona this I suggest that before you compare yourselves to them, getting out of your group in a competition Barca have won 3 times in the last 5 years would be a good start. Chelsea and City may have money to burn, yet despite this, pale in comparison to Barcelona.
Real Madrid, despite last season amassing more points and goals than any other Jose Mourinho team – something that would have meant that they won any other league in Europe, finished a distant second to Barcelona – showing just how good both are. This does not mean La Liga is less of a competition than the Premier League, it just means these two are that good, and would finish heads and shoulders above anyone in any league across Europe.
There is one area that I hands down feel the Premier League does out do La Liga in however, and that is the fan base. Even teams fighting for their lives in the relegation zone record brilliant attendances and half full stadiums are not something we are accustomed to seeing in England. In Spain however, this is an all too familiar sight, with the atmosphere and passion of the Premier League being heads and shoulders above the majority of La Liga.
That is not to say that La Liga lacks any kind of atmosphere, and anyone who has been to the Nou Camp or smaller stadiums such as El Madrigal or the Mestalla will tell you that the stadiums are both vastly impressive and atmosphere is fierce, and the fans do care passionately about their teams, yet for the mundane league games, it is in England you will find the louder and more passionate set of fans.
Perhaps it is just personal preference – I would chose to watch a La Liga game over a Premier League game nine times out of ten, for a variety of reasons – I prefer the Spanish style of football and the amount of technical talent and ability in La Liga is a joy to watch, yet it would come as no surprise to me that someone could completely disagree with me and would rather watch a Premier League game.
By no means am I trying to say that the Premier League is not worth watching, of course it is, and over the last ten years the players who have graced our shores and the level at which football has been played is nothing short of extraordinary, I just feel that in the last couple of years the balance of power has begun to shift and now La Liga just edges the premier League in terms of world class players, not to mention a very special manager.
Written by Rebecca Knight for FootballFancast.com.
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