Is La Liga the new SPL?

[pap]

There is an interesting article by Guardian journo Sid Lowe.

 

The former Real Madrid general manager Jorge Valdano claimed last week that Spain's big two are reaching a crossroads. Soon, he said, Barcelona and Real Madrid will find themselves in a situation in which they have little choice but to seek out new challenges elsewhere, leaving La Liga behind for a European league.

 

It is a subject that was in the background when the European Club Association met in Geneva on Tuesday but, as Valdano admitted, while Madrid and Barcelona would welcome such a move, rather more questionable is whether Europe's other big teams will have the same enthusiasm for leaving domestic competition behind.

 

"With every passing day there is a greater gap between the two greats and the rest of the league in Spain," Valdano said. "You look ahead and the sensation is that this situation will only get worse. There will come a time when this [situation] does not suit the big two either. In the future Madrid and Barcelona will have to look at teams that travel at the same speed as them and that will lead to a European league.

 

Full article here:-

 

Barcelona and Real in La Liga of their own with the rest nowhere

 

Sounds a lot like the situation in Scotland to me.

[Hatch]

There will be a European League one day, probaly sooner rather than later I'd imagine.

[jjsaint]

I disagree with this. La Liga have Valencia, Sevilla, Atletico. SPL have, er, Motherwell.

[Doctoroncall]

I disagree with this. La Liga have Valencia, Sevilla, Atletico. SPL have, er, Motherwell.

 

And still the third place team was closer to relegation than troubling the top two.

 

There are a couple of issues for La Liga - Most of the other clubs are badly run and the equalising of TV money would help but at the moment would just be flushed away.

[Gorgiesaint]

I know that Sevilla have called a meeting of the other La Liga clubs (without Real & Barcelona) to discuss a concerted response in trying to level the playing field somewhat.

 

A European League would be a disaster for football, relatively speaking no-one would be left interested in the domestic leagues that would be left (ironically England might be the one place that would buck that trend) so Spain, Scotland & Holland would find their leagues in serious trouble. But how are fans of the big teams going to cope when their all dominant teams suddenly struggle? What happens when a Euro Super-Duper League loses it appeal as there's no local rivalry? It's a very dangerous road to go down with no space for a u-turn if the map reading is going right.

[Gorgiesaint]

map reading is wrong - is what I meant to say!!

[pap]

A lot of has to do with the massive financial disparity between the clubs. When it comes down to it, there are very few winners in football - and too many people who think that winning is all that matters. This includes sponsors and fans. How else do you explain the depressingly high proportion of glory hunters in our midst? Sounds like that phenomenon is even worse over there.

 

You might look at the recent winners of the EPL and think that we're heading the same way. Difference is, no one believes that Manchester United or Chelsea are unassailable. Clubs like Liverpool and Manchester City are spending shedloads on that premise, and there is every chance that the likes of United can be supplanted if the conditions are right.

 

Another difference is that we have Premier League clubs dotted around the country, and plenty of local support for them. The departure of Deportivo means that three whole regions ( Castilla-y-Leon, Galicia and Extremadura - over 6m people combined ) have no La Liga representation.

 

As for my initial comparison with Scottish football; yeah, might have been a bit harsh. Motherwell.

[Ludwig]

A lot of has to do with the massive financial disparity between the clubs. When it comes down to it, there are very few winners in football - and too many people who think that winning is all that matters. This includes sponsors and fans. How else do you explain the depressingly high proportion of glory hunters in our midst? Sounds like that phenomenon is even worse over there.

 

You might look at the recent winners of the EPL and think that we're heading the same way. Difference is, no one believes that Manchester United or Chelsea are unassailable. Clubs like Liverpool and Manchester City are spending shedloads on that premise, and there is every chance that the likes of United can be supplanted if the conditions are right.

 

Another difference is that we have Premier League clubs dotted around the country, and plenty of local support for them. The departure of Deportivo means that three whole regions ( Castilla-y-Leon, Galicia and Extremadura - over 6m people combined ) have no La Liga representation.

 

As for my initial comparison with Scottish football; yeah, might have been a bit harsh. Motherwell.

 

How populous is pretty much the whole South of London? The same is the case in the PL. No South-West, South, or South-East (but more southern than London) have any PL representation whatsoever. East Midlands is pretty starved too.

[pap]

Fair point - which I'd add to by pointing out that this is the first year that Wales have had Premier League representation.

[Saintandy666]

I don't know, would there be as much interest in a European league? Fans wouldn't be able to travel abroad every match(less money? Though TV income is huge) and atmosphere would be ****(though that hardly matters in the bigger picture).

 

I just don't know if there would be as much interest in it as people think, especially from the majority of the country.