La Liga: the best league in the world

Discussion in 'UEFA and Europe' started by ElGuapo, Apr 6, 2012.

  1. ElGuapo

    ElGuapo New Member

    Jul 23, 2006
    MN
    La liga has dominated this year and it's back to number 1 in the rankings. An unprecedented 5 teams in the semis of European competition (Barca and Real in the champions league, and Bilbao, Valencia, and Atletico in the europa league).

    The 5-year country coefficient at the beginning of next season will be:

    season 08/09
    epl 15.0
    la liga 13.312

    season 09/10
    la liga 17.928
    epl 17.828

    season 10/11
    epl 18.357
    la liga 18.214

    season 11/12
    la liga 21+ (expected by the end of the season)
    epl 14+

    season 12/13
    la liga ??
    epl ??

    total
    la liga 70+
    epl 65+
     
  2. la saeta rubia

    Aug 1, 2010
    Argentina/España
    Club:
    CA River Plate
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    There is no doubt that right now La Liga is the Worlds best league but it remains dreadfully uncompetitive.
    Valencia,Atletico Madrid and Athletic maybe in a different class to anything else in Europe second tier but they remain utterly incapable of competing with Madrid or Barca.
    The most competitive leagues remain Brasil,Argentina,Mexico and Germany and I suspect that right now they are actually better in overall quality than the rapidly declining EPL Serie A and Ligue 1.
    Ok the top one or two in these leagues particularly the EPL remain better but the majority of teams I have seen in EPL and Serie A are technically abysmal.
     
  3. Pigs

    Pigs Member

    Everton FC
    England
    Mar 31, 2001
    Everywhere and nowhere
    Club:
    Everton FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    The Europa league is like a Carling Cup to English teams. The fact that Mancini said he was jealous of Man United being knocked out of the Europa league (before City were) speaks volumes.

    Europa League = nothing more than a hindrance to EPL.

    Having said that. Real Madrid and Barca are strong in the CL. But they always are and will always be. Being in the CL every single year. (I think Real Madrid have participated twice as many times as Man United and Liverpool put-together) in Europes top competition... means they will always be big clubs.

    But La Liga is a fantastic league and their record in Europe should show that they are #1 this year.
     
  4. la saeta rubia

    Aug 1, 2010
    Argentina/España
    Club:
    CA River Plate
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    Thata a load of rubbish.If Everton get into next years Europa league they wont taKE it seriously.Yhea right!
    Madrid have won the European cup more often than Liverpool and Manchester together as well.
    I dont claim to watch that much European futbol but when i see two of the mediocre EPL teams play the technical level is very very poor.I would say most if not all of the Spanish teams in the bottom half of La Liga are vastly superior to their EPl counterparts
     
  5. Respekt

    Respekt Red Card

    Mar 30, 2012
    The quality of footballing talent and capacity is better in Spain than anywhere else right now, but it's still arguable as to whether or not it's the best league in the world.

    These best league in the world arguments don't make much sense to me, every league suffers some downfalls and comes at a peak at some point as well, there is really no outright best league.

    Mentioning the performances of Spanish clubs in Europe this year doesn't make it the best either. Last year, three Portugese clubs made into the Europa League semifinals, but that didn't mean they were one of the best leagues out there did it. If we see more of this evidence from the Spanish clubs in the next few years, especially the ones not named Real Madrid or Barcelona, then there might be a good point on this.
     
  6. sendorange

    sendorange Member+

    Jun 7, 2003
    Bigsoccer.com
    Club:
    Tottenham Hotspur FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    It's a fair argument to say La Liga is the best quality-wise, but as above it is suffering by also being the most tiered league. The Spanish teams take the Europa league more seriously as they have no hope of winning anything domestically against the two juggernauts at the top.
     
  7. la saeta rubia

    Aug 1, 2010
    Argentina/España
    Club:
    CA River Plate
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    [QUOTE The Spanish teams take the Europa league more seriously as they have no hope of winning anything domestically against the two juggernauts at the top.[/QUOTE]

    Is the EPl any different except to say that the two Manchester juggernauts are just so inferior to their Spanish counterparts because the best Spanish players are so superior to the best English ones.
     
  8. 96Squig

    96Squig Member

    Feb 4, 2004
    Hanover
    Club:
    Hannover 96
    Nat'l Team:
    Netherlands
    Well, if you take the proposed cut for tax debts for Spanish clubs into account La Liga clubs are overspending and getting away with it, which is a significant economical advantage over German or English clubs.

    That is not to take anything away from their performance. It is just built on things that do not fly elsewhere.
     
  9. DaveyGorgeous

    DaveyGorgeous Member+

    Jul 6, 2006
    NYC
    Club:
    Juventus FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    I think the EPL is different. The "two Manchester juggernauts" do not compare with the superiority shown by Real and Barca. ManCity haven't even won the title yet; they cannot be equated with either of Real or Barca. At least not for a few years.
     
  10. EvanJ

    EvanJ Member+

    Manchester United
    United States
    Mar 30, 2004
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Not every English club will treat the Europa League equally. For Birmingham City it was their chance for attention because they're not in the Premier League. For the Manchester clubs the Europa League provided attention for the wrong reason. Everton would be much happier to be eliminated in the 2012-2013 Europa League Round of 16 than the Manchester clubs were this season.

    If this summer every Premier League club played a two leg friendly series against the La Liga club that finished in the same position in 2011-2012, how many aggregates would each league win?
     
  11. 96Squig

    96Squig Member

    Feb 4, 2004
    Hanover
    Club:
    Hannover 96
    Nat'l Team:
    Netherlands
    La Liga is the best league this season, and probably also for the last 2 years (and probably the coming 2 at least). However, it is totally tarnished by the sham that are their licensing procedures.
     
  12. BocaFan

    BocaFan Member+

    Aug 18, 2003
    Queens, NY
    It doesn't make sense to start with the 2008/9 season since then you are only counting 4 seasons when it's supposed to be a 5-year window (less than 4 actually, since this season is not finished).

    The 5-year window starts in 2007/8. So England is still #1, but if Barca beat Chelsea next round then Spain will pass England.
     
  13. evangel

    evangel Member+

    Apr 12, 2007
    This makes sense in theory, but in reality, I find it hard to imagine a team wanting to lose a match. Manchester City seemed to really want to win in the second leg against Sporting. They tried their best to get that last goal.

    This would be a fun experiment to run, and a much better way of gauging strength between leagues than what we have now.
     
  14. depor15

    depor15 Member

    Jun 28, 1999
    We have been discussing this same topic for years on these boards. I think that to really answer this will depend on what you consider is the best league. Do you base it on style of play, your favorite team or what the teams do in Europe? Best in all fairness is relative and I think we can never get an answer. I dont think it is fair to base it on results in Europe with that said I think that the way things are going in Europe and with all the players moving around so much these days things will go in cycles.
     
  15. unclesox

    unclesox BigSoccer Supporter

    Mar 8, 2003
    209, California
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    I don't buy that excuse. Back when Barcelona and Real Madrid weren't sweeping domestic silverware Spanish sides took the UEFA Cup/Europa League just as serious then as they do now:

    2004 - Valencia lifted the UEFA Cup while winning La Liga.

    2007 - Sevilla successfully defended the UEFA Cup while also winning the Copa del Rey.

    2010 - Atletico Madrid won the Europa League while reaching the Copa del Rey final (lost 1-0 to Sevilla).
     
  16. evangel

    evangel Member+

    Apr 12, 2007
    It seems Malaga has a very good chance of qualifying to the Champions League next year. This is a team that was bought a Middle Eastern sheikh like Man City was, so they could spend big if they make it to the CL next year.
     
  17. timh19

    timh19 Member+

    Jul 26, 2011
    Real Madrid and Barca are of course by far the two best teams in the world right now but it can change quickly for Real if they get rid of Mourinho. They did not qualify to the quarter finals of the Champions for 6 years in a row before Mourinho came.As for Barca, Messi makes the difference in the big games but he wont be young forever. He has at least 6 years at a really high level though so Barca can worry about the end of their dominance later.

    Valencia are a Champions League team. They got eliminated by Bayer Leverkusen in the group stages so that's very poor of them. It is good they are in the semis of the Europa League but it is not be a surprise. They should be aiming much higher.

    Bilbao have a great generation of players but the key factor was getting Bielsa as a coach.

    Atletico Madrid have a big budget. They bought Falcao for 40M euros which is more than the cost of probably 80% of the teams in the Europa League.
     
  18. thepremierleague

    Mar 14, 2001
    London
    Nat'l Team:
    England

    Seville, Atletico, Bilbao, Valencia and Villareal regularly get nowhere in the champions league including this season. Even Real Madrid got nowhere until Mourinho arrived 2 years ago.

    Portuguese teams did the same thing last season in the Europa League, yet they are hardly world beaters. Sometimes it just happens.

    I would still put Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham to win against anyone in Spain outside Madrid and Barcelona in a 2 legged tie most of the time.

    Man United made Bilbao look better than they are. Basal did the same thing.
    I think Shalke were very unlucky to get knocked out by them.

    The EPL teams have underperformed this year, and La Liga has taken advantage.
     
  19. unclesox

    unclesox BigSoccer Supporter

    Mar 8, 2003
    209, California
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    To be fair the selling of Kun Agüero (€45m) and de Gea (€20m) probably helped make Falcao's arrival possible.
     
  20. Oscar

    Oscar Member+

    Nov 30, 2001
    Holland
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Nat'l Team:
    Spain
    This thread gets the thumb up. Some of these excuses are hilarious. :D
     
  21. evangel

    evangel Member+

    Apr 12, 2007
    Why in the world would you put Tottenham on that list if the entire proof of your post is past history in the Champions League? They made to the quarterfinals last year, and both Valencia and Villarreal have made it to that round in the last few years.

    A team like Schalke in the Bundesliga made it to the semifinals last year, but I wouldn't place them at the level of Chelsea or Arsenal (though Schalke might be able to beat them on any given day, especially the way both those English teams are playing).
     
  22. BocaFan

    BocaFan Member+

    Aug 18, 2003
    Queens, NY
    Oh Geezus! As if Real Madrid wouldn't be able to make the quarterfinals without Mourinho. :rolleyes:

    Madrid were a much weaker team on paper those years they failed to reach the CL quarters. Even with all Madrid's failures in the past 5-year window, Spain still has the highest UEFA coefficient so it's not like Spain relies on Madrid to go far to remain respectable in Europe.
     
  23. Lahmfan

    Lahmfan Member+

    Jun 3, 2007
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    FC Bayern München
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    ahahahahha @ the english teams dont take Europa league seriously..

    fu cking classic.
     
  24. thepremierleague

    Mar 14, 2001
    London
    Nat'l Team:
    England

    Valencia were bad in the Champions League this year. They have not got near a Final since 2001.

    Tottenham are capable of beating any Spanish team outside Madrid and Barcelona, that's my point. They are only recently going through a bad patch.

    I think the EPL teams this year have been very inconsistent. Man City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Man United especially. One minute they are destroying big teams, the next they are losing to minnows.

    Roberto Martinez the manager of Wigan and former Sky Spanish football Pundit still states The Premier League is the best league, and he's Spanish.


    I think it's close, hard to say. Although going by this year the EPL looks weaker at face value and has suffered many humiliations, more than I can ever remember in one year.
     
  25. unclesox

    unclesox BigSoccer Supporter

    Mar 8, 2003
    209, California
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    He's also played 12 seasons in England compared to just one in Spain. Nor has he coached in La Liga.
    He's aware which side of the bread his butter is on. ;)
     

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