Recently this question has been bothering me quite alot..especially with most leagues and huge cups (CL..Copa Liberatodres) reaching or about to reach their conclusions. Because of the money and the supposed repute of the European top leagues alot of peopl around the world just assume they must be the best as well..and i'm not sure this is the case. Technically and offensively the Argentine and Brazilian leagues have a collective skill level you just don't see in Europe and that is often why the players from these leagues are bought to Europe..to add the amazing skills and abilities they have to the defensive and perhaps tactical superiority of the various European leagues (certainly Spain and Italy) I've been watching alot of Argentine and Brazilian football this season and the technical level of the players really is astonishing..in those leagues you have to be doing phenomenal things with the ball to stand out from the crowd but when you bring over an average S.A player to a Euro team they can really bring up the play level of those around them - but sometimes look a little hindered in the field of play by more restrictive tactics etc. It's always the way of the game these days that the biggest European clubs just lure away all the best S.A players with money beyond their dreams..The Santos team will eventually be ripped apart as all that talent gets scattered across Europe and it often happens to teams like River Plate..but they just keep on mass producing talent. Have you ever wondered how these teams would develop if the likes of the Ronaldo's Romario's R Carlos's etc etc etc actually played their whole careers at home? My point is how do you think the top teams from South America would do in the CL or in a league format?
A team like River, Boca, Sao Paolo or Vasco could do very well in the Champions League, I'd bet. I don't see any reason they couldn't be in it at the end.
Sorry, I do not have access to Brazilian and Argentine league. I got to see their Soutrh American teams when they played in Toyota Cup. They had done well against the European champions. I think the top 3 South American teams can reach the quarterfinal of CL. If they can keep their players, they would been conteders.
most copa libertadores sides would not fare too well in such a competition (especially if they had to travel for it) - sure there would be a couple that make the quarters, but IMHO the EPL is the best top-to-bottom league and the primera division of spain is right there
I voted for La Liga because the football is good any the teams are good also. Serie A has good teams but they play boring football.
I get the feeling some of you haven't seen much ..if any S.A football which is a shame. The current Santos side would give any team in Europe a run for there money.. Their attacking play is irresistable easily on par with anything Real Madrid play. Also please consider the question with all teams having the same amount of preperation time and travel time. So travel should not be a determining factor in your vote.
If you want to know which is the best league with the best teams it's obviously either Italy or Spain. With England a distant third. The South American clubs clubs are good but not up to the level of the top euro clubs. Remember, all of the best Argentine and Brazilians are already in europe. And the best players in Argentina and Brazil now will be in europe soon. It would unquestionably be different if Argentina and especially Brazil kept their best players at home. Just look at how many Brazilians played in the Champions League this year: Total number of players: 1050 France 115 England 94 Spain 82 Italy 79 Netherlands 69 Germany 57 Brazil 54 Greece 44 Belgium 41 Russia 35 Imagine if all of those players played in Brazil. And that doesn't include all of the players that didn't play for a club in the Champions League. Like Adriano, Luciano, Ronaldinho, Juninho, etc.
Let me find the web site where it is the rank for the best. But, anyway, here´s the result: -Best European league: Spanish -Best SAmerican league:Argentinian league Completely agree.
You´re going to the point, SAmericans leagues maybe are not "as good as" Europeans just because of the money, SAmerica is not "as good as" the 1º world countries just because of the lacks of money and all that problems, that´s all, the real problem. So, all the best players from SAmerica has to go to Europe (Some of then don´t really want it, do it for money, prestige, better life. For example Pablo Aimar scape from Argentina due to kidnaping, he was very sad for leaving his country and family.Many Argies are in risk, as the Colombians, and so that´s the story) they go looking for a better life, a better payment, a better competitons. And even tough, still SAmericans leagues are very good. I don´t see so much difference between CL format and Samericans leagues... an SAmerican team can do it as the Europeans, what´s the deal with this. The difference is just economical and his consecuences.
Of course, for the same reasons I mentioned before. Again: do it for money, for a better life, for a future and many many not for the heart. If those SA leagues has all their stars, good stadiums and all that, no one could ever be the best over SA. Brazil is the only one country that is better economical. So, Brazil has all the privilege Money, money, money, money.
If those stars and others had played their entire careers at home, less South American talent would have the opportunity to shine. If there is one major advantage South American talent has over European it is the opportunity to play at the highest level without being forced to step aside because of world class foreigners. When the Romarios, Ronaldos and Rivaldos leave for big money across the pond, there are open spots to be filled by hungry youngsters. In Europe those spots are filled by world class foreigners from all over the world chasing the big bucks. It hampers the development in the long run. There are two sides to every story and if those South Americans had stayed at home, European talents would have an equal opportunity to grow into first team football for the top clubs as the South Americans have today.
Right now: Spain Everything moves in cycles. Germany and Holland club play dominated the late 70's, England dominated most of the eighties, Italy dominated the late eighties and early nineties, Spain dominates today. England will probably take over pretty soon, most of the top players in the world are starting to move over there, they look to be the dominant force for the next few years. Then it will probably go back to Italy 10 years or so from now.