Battle of the Leagues: La Liga vs. English Premier League
It is one of the most debatable topics in the world: which league reigns supreme, the Spanish La Liga or the English Premier League. Both of the leagues host most of the top players of football in the world, and are the two most watched leagues in the world.
Spain won the 2010 FIFA World Cup this summer (with a lot of help from Barcelona stars) and many top-level players would want to play in Spain owing to this feat. The Spanish league also boasts the top two players in the world: Cristiano Ronaldo, playing for Real Madrid, and Lionel Messi, playing for Barcelona. With Jose Mourinho taking over Real Madrid this season, does this mean the Premier League era is finally over?
To be honest, it is one of the biggest debates in football currently. Both leagues deserve to be counted as one of the best. It’s all about what the fans want. Some want the calm, steady and possession play of La Liga while others prefer the raw, adrenaline-pumping action of the Premier League. Premier League supporters are known to be diehard fans of football. They are known for being brutal to their team should they lose and treating them like kings should they win some silverware. All in all, it’s an intense rivalry between two very different styles of playing, playing the same game.
La Liga on the other hand, provides players with the time and space on the ball. The players play a relatively calmer game, take time to release the ball and like keeping the ball at their feet. This is the reason why there are lesser goals in the La Liga as compared to the Premier League. La Liga enjoy some of the most technical players and their style of play could be reflected in the 2010 World Cup. On an average, Spain enjoyed above 55% of possession in all of the matches. Spain won most of their matches with the score-line reading 1-0, which was also the score in their final against the Netherlands. They know how to win, but like doing things their own way. The Premier League, however, adds speed, passion, drama and raw energy to that technical ability, making it the most watched and covered league on the planet.
Premier League holds the edge over La Liga in terms of depth of the teams. In the La Liga, it is always going to be a two horse race, as Barcelona and Real Madrid are the only teams capable of winning trophies. The league is a mere battle between these two powerhouses as other clubs are just used as stepping stones. Considering the so called ‘big four’ of the Spanish league, both Barcelona and Real Madrid switch places at the top. The other two, Atlético Madrid and Sevilla, do possess some of the top talent in Europe, but fail to deliver at the right time. Valencia sold off two of their top players recently and would also be hoping to finish decent. So with Spain, it’s only just Barcelona and Real Madrid getting all the attention and attraction from the top players. Both of the teams are now full and don’t hold the capacity to add new faces. Barcelona have World Cup winning squad players sitting on the bench while Real Madrid has the depth to play two teams from the same squad.
The Premier League, however, has something more to offer. Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal are truly the top clubs on the planet and have hosted some of the true legends of football. These teams have been the most prized ones over the years and most of the young, upcoming talent has dreamt about playing in these four one day. The Premier League, however, is more than just these “Big Four”. Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur have recently established themselves to be a strong force in Europe and City now hosts some of the best players in the world. Carlos Tevez, David Silva, the Toure brothers, Shay Given and others are currently playing with the club, and they are a big club in the making. Tottenham recently made it into the top four and would be playing with the big boys in the Champions League. Moving further down, Everton, Aston Villa and Fulham can never be counted out and are respected all over the world. These teams have been the breeding ground for the world’s finest players.
The Premier League has also won the most European championships in the previous five years and is therefore ranked as number one in UEFA. For the time being, the Premier League is attracting a lot of players to its “Top Seven” clubs, which offer players an opportunity to play in the most watched football league. Spain, however, holds most of the star players. In the past 5 years, six English teams have featured in the UEFA Champions League final, winning two times. Only Barcelona has made it into the final twice and won both times. This easily signifies that Premier League teams have been more successful in the previous five years. La Liga would therefore be counting on the efforts of all its stars players if it wants to establish itself above the Premier League.
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