Is EPL the best soccer league?

Discussion in 'England' started by CelticKing, Mar 12, 2008.

  1. CelticKing

    CelticKing The Green Monster

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    I say it is the best. Maybe not tactically but they get the job done. Even though England as a country doesn't have success in intl soccer. (either world cup or euro cup)


    What do you guys think?
     
  2. man_u_barmy_army

    man_u_barmy_army DYC Legend +Young Prodigy

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    yea well coming from england i had to agree with ya there m8 but Spain + Italy arn't far behind
    FOOTBALL
    GO UNITED!!
     
  3. DDRickyDD

    DDRickyDD SportsTwo Member.

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    I think its just the top 4 that are better than other countries. English teams hardly ever come close to winning the UEFA cup.
     
  4. Petey

    Petey Super Sized Sexy, The Bulls Fan Killer! Staff Member Administrator

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (DDRickyDD @ Mar 13 2008, 01:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I think its just the top 4 that are better than other countries. English teams hardly ever come close to winning the UEFA cup.</div>

    I agree. The mid-tier teams of Spain and Italy are much better than those in the EPL.

    -Petey
     
  5. bbwMax

    bbwMax Member

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    Just read an Article on this. I'll post it up.

    Link

    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>1. Spain: La Liga. The fact that the Galacticos of Real Madrid went three years without winning the title says plenty about this entertaining and super-competitive product. It's the most stylish and enjoyable league in the world, packed with home-grown talent, South American class and a healthy sprinkling of international superstars.

    "The technical ability of the players is superb in La Liga and it really is the most beautiful football to watch. There is always the Big Two of Real and Barca, but unlike the Premiership, you have several other teams who have broken through into the top four in recent years."

    – Guillem Balague, journalist and broadcaster, "Revista de la Liga"

    2. England: Premiership. The Premiership's popularity shows no sign of slowing down – television viewing figures around the globe are massive and foreign investors are falling over themselves to get a piece of the financial action. Only the tough-minded survive in a league that is played at a ferocious pace and is packed with passion. Many big names have had their reputations dented in the most pressurized competition in the game.

    "Many of the best players on the planet are clamoring to come to the Premiership – it really is the place to be. There is still unpredictability, as shown by Aston Villa's victory over Chelsea, and the pace of the game always makes for entertaining matches."

    – Steven Baker, news editor, Sky Sports News

    3. Italy: Serie A. It used to be king of the castle, but too much focus on defense caused Serie A to slip behind the Spanish and English leagues in popularity. Also, the Italian game was rocked by a recent match-fixing scandal. Still, the color and passion of the fans still make big games a fascinating spectacle.

    "In Italy, football is more like a religion than a game. The players realize how important it is to people's lives and treat their profession accordingly."

    – Gianluca Vialli, former striker for Sampdoria, Juventus and Italy

    4. Germany: Bundesliga. Full of technical efficiency, the Bundesliga is still good viewing, but it does not enjoy huge popularity outside of Germany. Many of the league's top stars, such as Michael Ballack, have sought big contracts elsewhere, but some classy imports like French star Franck Ribery, Italian striker Luca Toni and a steady stream of home-grown talent has kept standards high.

    "The level of skills in the Bundesliga is as strong as the big leagues, but the TV money they receive is much lower. German players work on technique from a very young age and have a lot of ability, but apart from Bayern Munich it is hard for the clubs to compete with the big European teams.

    – Oliver Richardt, soccer writer, Bild

    5. France: Ligue 1. Greater strength in depth is needed if the French league is to rival the big four. Lyon has dominated for six years and is miles ahead of the field. A lucrative television deal has injected more cash in recent seasons, allowing an influx of imports, but the smaller clubs still struggle. Ligue 1 is a favorite destination for high-quality African players.

    "The best clubs, especially Lyon, are as good as most in Europe, but there is a big drop in quality in the lower half."

    – Eric Durand, French soccer writer

    FIVE LEAGUES FOR THE FUTURE

    1. United States: Major League Soccer. It will certainly take time, but if MLS goes about things the right way, the potential growth for its product is massive. Being based in the world's biggest consumer market is not always a blessing – it leads to greater competition for one thing – but if that market can be cracked, then the possibilities are endless. Critics and cynics point to the failure of the NASL three decades ago, yet those comparisons are unrealistic.

    There are several reasons why MLS can achieve big-time success over the next decade or so. Here are a few:

    • Effort – MLS can get better because it wants to. It sounds simple, but many leagues around the world are happy with their product and are not looking to take steps to improve. MLS will make mistakes, but by showing initiative and striving to become bigger, the league is getting an international reputation as something that is moving in the right direction.

    • Immigrant population – Millions of soccer-mad Latin Americans, Europeans, Africans and Asians continue to flock to this country. If the standard of soccer gets good enough, they will flock to games in droves.

    • Lifestyle – The U.S. is seen as an attractive and cheap destination by many leading players. At present, superstar players like David Beckham are only likely to come to America at the end of their careers, but solid and dependable players from the level just below could have their heads turned earlier and increase the general levels of the league.

    "I don't know whether it's ignorance or snobbery or whether it's that the people saying these things have never played the game or watched it being played here, but the standard is nowhere near as low as people have been saying it is. For a start, you have to be incredibly fit and physically strong to play here: America's a country, after all, that produces some of the best athletes in the world."

    – David Beckham, Los Angeles Galaxy

    2. Japan: J-League. The 2002 World Cup sparked massive interest in soccer in Japan, and the J-League continues to get stronger. Crowd support is solid, the standard of play is improving and the fact that most leading Japanese players opt to stay home points to further progress.

    "Soccer is getting up there with baseball now in terms of popularity, and the quality has improved dramatically. In the past, players past their best were coming to Japan for a final payday, but rarely so now."

    – Yohei Kasuga, Nikkan Sports

    3. Australia: A-League. Fifteen years ago, soccer was sneered by fans of the national game, Aussie Rules Football, and it was regarded as a sport for foreigners or weaklings. Sound familiar? Well, it hasn't taken that long for things to change, and the popularity of the two-year-old A-League has been startling. An attractive lifestyle and good salaries will help the league continue to attract overseas talent and many Aussies based in Europe are now returning home to play a role in the A-League's growth.

    "The A-League is the best thing to have happened to Australian soccer. It is a well structured and thoroughly professional operation which is smart enough to progress at a manageable rate. When players of the caliber of Brazil's Juninho come on board, everybody realizes that this is for real. Within 10 years you can expect the comp to be up to 12 teams, including maybe three from Asia, and 30,000-plus gates as the norm."

    – Pat McLeod, chief sports writer, Gold Coast Bulletin

    4. Mexico: Primera Division. This league has one of the highest budgets (funded mainly by wealthy businessmen with egos to match their bank balances) of any outside Europe and is starting to gain attention internationally for all the right reasons. Its future growth may be tied to Mexico's economy, but current signs are good. Clubs like Pachuca feel confident of holding their own, even against some of Europe's finest teams.

    "The Mexican league is gaining respect in other countries and the levels are good. The playoffs are exciting and the best thing is that there are many clubs who are all desperately fighting to prove they are the best."

    – Javier Cruz, Mexican soccer journalist

    5. Russia: Premier League. If money talks loudest, then Russian soccer is screaming its head off. A soccer club is the plaything of choice for the new wave of billionaires who got rich after the fall of communism. Their fat wallets have paid for state-of-the-art stadiums, high-quality coaches and players and a bright future for the Russian league.

    "Many Russian players now choose to stay at home instead of going elsewhere in Europe because there are good salaries available here. The standard is improving and Russia can be a powerhouse again, although it will take some time."</div>
     
  6. Mixx

    Mixx JBB JustBBall Member

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    Yeah we are the best league in the world. The great Manchester United just won the English leauge and the European Champions leauge so that makes us the best in the world and Manchester United is the best in the world also.
     
  7. kobimel

    kobimel Hapoel

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    How does one team winning a double make the EPL the best league in the world?

    Anyway, I agree with the article: La Liga is just the most interesting league right now, overall.
     
  8. Chutney

    Chutney MON-STRAWRRR!!1!

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    I personally like Serie A football. I can appreciate the technical defensive style because its how I played the game for years. But from an unbiased perspective, I'd probably have to say La Liga is the best at the moment.

    I'd like to see what M Two One has to say on this topic. He watches more individual leagues than anyone I know and I remember him really trumping the French league as one to watch.
     
  9. bbwchingy0007

    bbwchingy0007 BBW Member

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    The Premiership will be the top League within about 5 years, without a doubt. The new global television deal struck ensures huge amounts of money to all teams in the division (unlike many other Leagues where teams sell their own TV rights). At present, of the top 25 richest football teams in the World, 10 are English and this looks set to rise as this new TV deal really kicks in. With all the foreign investments coming into the League at the moment, the clubs' transfer budgets will go up, wages will increase and the League will become incredibly competitive. It is projected by Sky Sports (no source, saw it on TV) that over the next few years all 20 Premiership teams will rank in the top 40-50 richest clubs in the World. With money like that floating about, it is hard to see other countries being able to compete.

    I would say that other nations (Spain and Italy especially) may have more teams in the top 5 or 10, but England is the most consistent due to TV rights being sold collectively rather than for individual teams which allows the best teams to get huge money and small teams get peanuts.

    The Premiership is the richest league in the World (it has the most revenue with $700m average per team), Serie A is 2nd with $490m, then the Bundesliga with $389m, then La Liga with $275m, and in 9th place is The Championship (England's second-tier) with $125m. In terms of money, the future s bright.

    In terms of football, I personally prefer the style of the Premiership. It is physical, fast-paced and often brutal league where hard tackles are common place with a kind of laissez faire attitude adopted by the referees. In Spain, are given for much less than in England, and Italy has a much slower, tactical approach which can get rather boring (though interesting, I'll admit).
     
  10. M Two One

    M Two One Halló Veröld!

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    <u>Leagues ranked officially from 2007 based on several factors</u>

    01. Spanish La Liga
    02. English Premiership
    03. Italian Serie A
    04. French Ligue 1
    05. German Bundesliga
    06. Portuguese BWIN Liga
    07. Romanian Liga I Realitatea
    08. Dutch Eredivisie
    09. Russian Premiership
    10. Scottish Premiership

    Spain had top competitors in all competitions and blew away the UEFA Cup for the second straight year. England was already creeping up behind with three finalists in the Champions League. Next year shows different, take a look.


    <u>New rankings for 2008</u>

    01. English Premiership
    02. Spanish La Liga
    03. Italian Serie A
    04. French Ligue 1
    05. German Bundesliga
    06. Russian Premiership
    07. Romanian Liga I Realitatea
    08. Portuguese BWIN Liga
    09. Dutch Eredivisie
    10. Scottish Premiership

    England obviously takes the top spot due to club superiority with their top four in major competition such as the Champions League. All English final? Duh, so obviously. Still, England is on their heals due to their lack of competitiveness in the domestic league. Same goes for Italy, which will likely be taken down to fourth or even fifth next year by Ligue 1 of France, which is getting better and has the top rated television deal as a league in the entire world of football. On another note, take notice of the Russian Premiership because the huge money many of their clubs have right now, topped with speedy competitive action all around, can take the league into the top five easily next season if not beyond that.


    <u>Most competitive domestic leagues in Europe</u>

    01. Spanish La Liga
    02. Dutch Eredivisie
    03. Russian Premiership
    04. French Ligue 1
    05. Italian Serie A
    06. Swiss Axpo Super League
    07. German Bundesliga
    08. English Premiership
    09. Turkish Turkcell Super League
    10. Belgian Jupiler League

    Without a doubt it is Spain, looking at how much clubs fluctuate up and down every season, mostly based on other clubs continuing to improve drastically. This season alone we seen Zaragoza, who finished in the top five the previous season, get relegated by several fighting newcomers. As a side note - the clubs with the largest fanbases are (in order) - Real Madrid, Manchester United, Barcelona, Chelsea and Juventus. This is all based on statistics from UEFA.


    <u>My personal list of the top 10 leagues in the World based on quality football overall as a league</u>

    01. Spanish La Liga
    02. French Ligue 1
    03. Russian Premiership
    04. Italian Serie A
    05. Swiss Axpo Super League
    06. Japanese J-League
    07. German Bundesliga
    08. English League Championship
    09. Dutch Eredivisie
    10. English Premiership

    Why is Spain number one in my book? Check the above topic. Clubs ranked in the lower half of the standings (relegation zone-esque) in La Liga would pound any club in England other then their big four without a doubt. We've seen this in the UEFA Cup and in other competitions. Same goes for Italy, which also has fierce mid-table clubs and even fiercer relegation battlers. However, the scandals, riots and other shenanigans going on in Italy dropped them from second to fourth for me.

    In second is Ligue 1. You may ask, why Ligue 1? It can't be because of a television deal! Well, it isn't that at all for me. The reason I like Ligue 1 is because outside of Lyon's dominance there has been a super fluctuation going on in the table each season ranked 2 through 20. PSG fight hard to win a major cup, but falter out in the standings and are nearly relegated. Bordeaux forgets the cups and goes all out for a title chase this year, which was oh-so-very close! Lille storms back into the top half after a dismal start in the bottom three for many weeks. Lens finished fifth last season, now they'll be recovering in Ligue 2 for 2008/09 after being dropped by Toulouse who finished third in 2006/07. Monaco continues to suffer mid-table not even a decade after they reached the Champions League final! Enough said ..

    Third is the Russian Prem. The money, the glory, the fast-paced action .. which is more-so then England's. I was luckily able to see some matches last season and some this season thanks to a buddy of mine who has a huge dish that (illegally) receives Russian Prem telecasts. The competitive nature of the clubs, as also seen early this season, topped with the scoring bonanzas makes for great football. This considering that the defense isn't asleep like in some England matches! The thing is, in Russia, the defense is sharp, but the offense is just that much better. We see it every time the Russian National Team steps onto the pitch! We also seen it with Zenit St. Petersburg when they destroyed German Bundesliga champs Bayern Munich without their best player. Russia owns these days.

    No offense to the English Prem anyway, I will be watching it even more now that Hull City has moved up. That was a great run in the Championship, which is better in my book then the Prem itself. Most of my British friends actually agree to this, oddly enough. Even more odd considering that they're all either Manchester United, Newcastle or Liverpool fans.

    As for my fifth ranked league the Swiss Axpo, you'd better check this league if you want to see some great football. Sure, they don't have the best players around, but remember that the players they do have don't single each other out based on huge talent and money like the big four in England do to the rest of the Prem clubs. This problem avoided in Switzerland, it makes for even-matched football between all clubs. Check the close race that finished this past season. Also note that a club coming up from Liechtenstein will fight in the Axpo Super League next season for the first time, FC Vaduz. A club coming from a city of less then 6,000 inhabitants and UEFA Cup bound due to their dominance in the country's cup comp once again.

    A few leagues I'd like to note that aren't on my list - First, the Scottish Premiership. What a joke. The same two teams every damn season going after the title. If I want to take a nap, I'll just flip to a Scottish Prem match. Second, the BWIN Liga of Portugal. Again, the same top clubs and seemingly the same turnout in the rest of the standings. Ok, so this season a new club slipped by in the top three, but still, the football is boring. Lastly, the Romanian Liga. How in the living hell is this a top league when (aside from this season) it has been the same two clubs competing for the title for decades? Thankfully Cluj won it this year, but it is their first in history! Ok, so the wait was worth it for their most dedicated fans, but still. As a whole, this league is boring. Their big two Steaua and Dinamo sucked over the last few decades in International competition and will continue to do so. Hopefully Cluj will continue to thrive and make things different.
     
  11. bbwchingy0007

    bbwchingy0007 BBW Member

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    I'll agree with you about the Prem's lack of competitiveness, but I don't think Everton fans will be happy that you say that all mid table Spanish teams would beat them without a doubt. I'll tell you one thing, though, even if the English Premiership is not the best in the World, the English F.A. Cup is.
     
  12. M Two One

    M Two One Halló Veröld!

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    I can't agree with the FA Cup either. I do agree that it is tied as the best cup competition along with the Copa del Rey though. Both have great competitiveness and each season you can expect something different to happen. Look at both cups this season for instance. FA Cup final: Portsmouth v Cardiff City. Copa del Rey final: Getafe v Valencia.
     
  13. CelticKing

    CelticKing The Green Monster

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    M21, what are your thoughts on MLS? (how about the future, do you see it becoming more attractive to euro players?)
     
  14. M Two One

    M Two One Halló Veröld!

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    MLS could be bright for more foreign players, especially with the steps teams like the Chicago Fire are taking towards the success of choosing the right designated player for the job. This great early success with the player only shows that a club like the Fire are making the right decisions towards team success and not simply focusing on merch success. The reason this is important is because it shows that the club want to strive towards building more success abroad such as the possibility of joining a major tournament like Copa Libertadores.

    There is a huge problem right now though that may tank the MLS in the future. This problem is that only three teams are making any type of profit right now (Chicago Fire, DC United and LA Galaxy) and only FC Dallas and Kansas City are closing in on that mark. Others like the Red Bulls are suffering from major losses due to some poor turnouts and high prices for new "soccer stadiums." Obviously in due time the Red Bulls should be able to recover from this, but it would take at least a decade of major money loss to do so and even after it won't be so pretty for execs for at least another decade or so to make up for those losses.

    In any case, the MLS is not so much the league of the future as the J-League or Russian Premiership are in my honest opinion. Not that I have anything against the MLS, I hope it doesn't fail and continues to gain a larger fanbase. The thing is that in Russia they have the money (more so then bigger league clubs) and I don't just mean three or four clubs like in England or Italy. More like eleven. That is huge and brings up the idea of many clubs actively competing for the title every season.

    Spain on the other hand doesn't have to worry about money issues because of their rule that only a certain amount of foreign players can be activated on the roster. This minimizes the chances that richer clubs will dominate all the time. That makes for great football.

    As for the J-League, they have class, style, great ownership and are close to having all of their clubs in the profit zone so early. One thing though, like the MLS, they aren't about traditions. All this considering, remember that most clubs in the J-League have stadiums more high tech then those major clubs in Europe. Take a look at some of these stadiums below and see what I mean.

    Ajinomoto Stadium - home to FC Tokyo and Tokyo Verdy

    [​IMG]

    Kashima Soccer Stadium - home to the defending champions Kashima Antlers

    [​IMG]

    Kyushu Oil Dome "Big Eye" - home to Oita Trinita

    [​IMG]

    Nissan Stadium - home to Yokohama F. Marinos and the Japanese National Football Team

    [​IMG]

    Saitama Stadium - home to the AFC Champions League winners Urawa Red Diamonds

    [​IMG]

    Sapporo Dome - home to Consadole Sapporo

    [​IMG]

    This stylish league makes up for tradition with a new wave of soccer interests. That is why the J-League is truly the league of the future. The MLS on the other hand has a long way to go and will have many hurdles to jump to get to where they want to be. The biggest attraction for foreign players is about the United States way of life. A new place to retire in other words. I'm actually afraid the MLS is turning into the new Qatari League. lol
     
  15. man_u_barmy_army

    man_u_barmy_army DYC Legend +Young Prodigy

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    well in some respects you are right, but to be honest this isn't an overnight thing it will take 10 years
     
  16. M Two One

    M Two One Halló Veröld!

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    Where is "overnight" written?
     
  17. man_u_barmy_army

    man_u_barmy_army DYC Legend +Young Prodigy

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    its just the way you put it and you didn't say a time period so i assumed....
     
  18. M Two One

    M Two One Halló Veröld!

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    I don't even know what topic you're on about though since you didn't make it clear. J. League; Russian Prem; other? The Russian Premiership will all likely be a top five league by next season. The best, that'd take more then a decade, but it is possible not a sure thing. For Japan, I don't believe they will ever be the best league in the world. One of the best all around, sure, but Europe will always be the strongest place for football.
     
  19. bbwMax

    bbwMax Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (M Two One @ May 30 2008, 12:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I don't even know what topic you're on about though since you didn't make it clear. J. League; Russian Prem; other? The Russian Premiership will all likely be a top five league by next season. The best, that'd take more then a decade, but it is possible not a sure thing. For Japan, I don't believe they will ever be the best league in the world. One of the best all around, sure, but Europe will always be the strongest place for football.</div>

    The Russian League? Not really a big player In my own opinion but i don't really follow it. But then again Zenit St. Petersburg won the Uefa cup so maybe. But IMO they need a couple European Club victories under their belt before they become big contenders, let alone the best league in the world. The big 3 (English Premier League, Serie A and La Liga) have had that tied up for ages and i can't see it being Penetrated. If the Bundesliaga can't do it i can't see the Russian Premiership doing it unless a Major thing happens, back to the European level I can't see CSKA Moscow or Zenit winning the Champions league. But then again when was the last time a French team won it? Damn i got to stop Contradicting myself. For a team to do well at Club level they have to do well at International level too. I know England haven't Exactly been tip-top these past few years but they were a force to be reckoned with. Russia However haven't got out of the Group stages in the World Cup since the current Russian Football Union was formed in 1994. The CIS ran it between 1991-1994. Even before that the best they've ever achieved was when the Soviet Union got 4th place in 1966.

    Also, i see why Man_U_Barmy_Army wrote the "Overnight" thing. He wasn't saying to have a go he was saying it merely as a general gesture. When i read your brilliant post on future league i thought exactly the same. Although league like the J-League and Russian Premiership Will probably be up in the top 5 leagues eventually it will take lots of Investment (Which from the looks of it the J-league has) and time to gain the respect and time that leagues like the English league and La Liga, Serie A etc. They are Similar to other European leagues for example Holland's Eredivisie and the Portuguese Liga in the way that they aren't major yet but they are getting there. I personally would love to see other European Countries competing for the Champions league and UEFA Cup. It will expand football and could make it even bigger then it already is. Also M Two One i know your entitled to your own Opinion and i don't go against it but I must ask why you placed the English Championship above the English Premier league. I can sort of see why what with different teams winning it every season (What with Promotions and such) but surely the Skill and General Pazaz of the EPL can't be beaten?
     
  20. M Two One

    M Two One Halló Veröld!

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Max @ May 30 2008, 01:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>The Russian League? Not really a big player In my own opinion but i don't really follow it.</div>

    You don't follow it, so how can you have an opinion of it? No offense. I'm no Russian supporter in the slightest, but the fact that majority of Russian club owners are far richer then the majority of other club owners should give you enough of an answer to the possibility of the Russian Prem as a whole.

    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Max @ May 30 2008, 01:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>But then again Zenit St. Petersburg won the Uefa cup so maybe. But IMO they need a couple European Club victories under their belt before they become big contenders, let alone the best league in the world. The big 3 (English Premier League, Serie A and La Liga) have had that tied up for ages and i can't see it being Penetrated. If the Bundesliaga can't do it i can't see the Russian Premiership doing it unless a Major thing happens, back to the European level I can't see CSKA Moscow or Zenit winning the Champions league. But then again when was the last time a French team won it? Damn i got to stop Contradicting myself. For a team to do well at Club level they have to do well at International level too. I know England haven't Exactly been tip-top these past few years but they were a force to be reckoned with. Russia However haven't got out of the Group stages in the World Cup since the current Russian Football Union was formed in 1994. The CIS ran it between 1991-1994. Even before that the best they've ever achieved was when the Soviet Union got 4th place in 1966.</div>

    The Bundesliga? You're joking, the league is ranked below Ligue 1 of France on UEFA's scale. Bundesliga are considered to have the largest domestic interest of any league in the world, but internationally and even continentally they are doing very poorly. Serie A will be ranked fourth next year due to major club fallouts (most notably Juventus) and recent poor international interest.

    From your point of view in the bold points, you basically write that the French National Team doesn't do well because of their clubs not winning the Champions League, which makes no sense to me or you I'm sure. England's top four clubs perform well due to international players for the most part. Look at your club Arsenal, which has basically Walcott to go by. If FIFA approve (which they won't) the new law for 2012 that teams cannot field more then 5 foreign players, then the big four in England are royally screwed. There is no argument to be made on that, English teams are nothing without International players. The only big teams outside of England that use a majority of foreign players on their squad are Real Madrid and Inter.

    I also wouldn't worry about the Russian National Team. Since you want to bring up history, let's take a look at certain factors here at their demise since the break up of the Soviet Union. First, look at the vast amount of countries that are doing fairly well right now that were once in the Soviet Union. Remember that Russia lost these players and coaches due to the collapse, past and present. Second, Russia's recent International, Continental and Domestic successes show that they've recovered fairly well in just under two decades. That's quite phenomenal for a country whose football program was basically demolished only back in 1991.

    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Max @ May 30 2008, 01:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Also, i see why Man_U_Barmy_Army wrote the "Overnight" thing. He wasn't saying to have a go he was saying it merely as a general gesture. When i read your brilliant post on future league i thought exactly the same.</div>

    I took absolutely no offense to the post from our friend Man_U_Barmy_Army, I just didn't understand what he was on about since there were so many topics on discussion in my previous posts.

    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Max @ May 30 2008, 01:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Although league like the J-League and Russian Premiership Will probably be up in the top 5 leagues eventually it will take lots of Investment (Which from the looks of it the J-league has) and time to gain the respect and time that leagues like the English league and La Liga, Serie A etc. They are Similar to other European leagues for example Holland's Eredivisie and the Portuguese Liga in the way that they aren't major yet but they are getting there. I personally would love to see other European Countries competing for the Champions league and UEFA Cup. It will expand football and could make it even bigger then it already is.</div>

    Both leagues have plenty of investment and unlike the J. League which still has issues with selling tickets, Russia has daily sell outs and plenty of foreigner turnouts as well. As I mentioned, Europe will always be the world powerhouse of football, which is why I can't see Japan's league being the best. Top five for sure, but that's about it. Their style and unique approach to the game is what will sell it for years to come, especially to foreign points of view.

    Eredivisie and BWIN Liga are going nowhere. They've been at the bottom of the top ten in UEFA's ranks for decades. The leagues don't sell themselves well and only Ajax, PSV, Feyenoord, Porto, Benfica and Sporting have a solid enough international interest in both countries. Every other club from both league systems is simply there, even if they compete well enough. That of course, only going on the side of the Eredivisie since it is very competitive, unlike the BWIN Liga, which always has a similar turnout from top to bottom.

    Speaking of time in your words, you do know that the J. League has been around as long as the English Prem, correct? La Liga and Serie A are actually the oldest forms of league competition of those in your discussion. Age doesn't matter today for leagues, what matters these days is how you sell your product and present it. This is due to a new type of fanbase around the world, which is seemingly taking over.

    Russia doesn't present their product as well as Japan, but are getting there. They know the possibilities that they have with their product. They just recently began talks in late 2007 into television rights for US and English viewers in 2009 or 2010. Note that Russia's Prem has only been around for seven years and in that short span of time two teams have won the UEFA Cup in dominant fashion. With so many of their clubs re-inventing themselves in such short time, there is no doubt about the league's future as a dominant player. To be honest with you, you should look into the Russian Prem as soon as possible considering that you love the English game. Russian teams play a similar game to English teams with fast-paced scoring frenzied action. The major difference is that Russian teams also mix rough and tough defense into the game. I'm patiently waiting for local SAT to get Russian league games. For now, we only have highlights on FSC. Until then, I'll have to stick with watching it illegally at someone's else's house. lol

    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Max @ May 30 2008, 01:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Also M Two One i know your entitled to your own Opinion and i don't go against it but I must ask why you placed the English Championship above the English Premier league. I can sort of see why what with different teams winning it every season (What with Promotions and such) but surely the Skill and General Pazaz of the EPL can't be beaten?</div>

    In my opinion, the Championship is better to watch as a whole then the Premiership. I respect Prem power with exciting players like Ronaldo and such, but the Championship has more competitiveness and is more traditionally English. The real deal, in other words. I don't know about you, but for me, football isn't about watching the best players on one team dominate a weaker side over and over until you fall asleep on the sofa. And who is to say that the Championship doesn't showcase great skill? Many upcoming greats are loaned out there and still dazzle spectators. The way Hull City bounced back and played a ferocious attacking style all season was very exciting too.
     

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