As Manchester United was thrashed by a certain Spanish team of Villareal, another European title comes back home to Spain. Villarreal CF was crowned the UEFA Europa League Champions on the 27th of May.
A consistent tale of Spain’s absolute dominance in the European sphere is accorded and formulated again as Villareal becomes the second Spanish team in a row to clinch the title home.
The finale of the Europa League was a rather humdrum affair, to say the least. However, the recent inclusion of an active audience in the stadium provided the game with a much-needed lease of fresh air.
The vibe and accordion of the fans’ chants filled each nook and cranny of Porto with a sense of mirth that had been unmatched since the pandemic began. The moment De Gea had his shot blocked by the Villareal stopper, Geronimo Rulli, the crowd and the internet became wild.
It was time for celebrations and it was celebratory for the underdogs. The champagne flew up high in the sky, while the Red Devils tinkered off into their caverns of solitude. Villarreal Club de Fútbol had won the Europa League title for the very first time and they had trumped one of the most influential clubs in football’s history.
However, amidst these celebrations and festive extravagance, the question still hung itself high up in the air- Is the EPL really the best league in club football? To think of it, the answer in all certainty would be no. However, I will be elucidating every other factor as to why I think this, just don’t vandalize my house.
Good Competition In A League Does Not Make It The Best
The fact that most EPL fans and devotees exclaim that their league easily trumps over Europe’s other top leagues owing simply to the fact that their league is more competitive, is ludicrous.
Imagine a school where each and every student earns a B+ but a certain ‘special one’ earns a B++. The school then heralds these students as the creme de la creme of students celebrating their mediocrity with galore.
In that same vein, the English Premier League fans provide the same hubris to the English clubs. Masquerading them as the best football has to offer, yet they falter time and again in the grandest stage of them all, the UEFA Champions League.
The league is undoubtedly unpredictable, however, it also provides perspective into the heart of their ineptitude. Inconsistency of the Big Six, of which two might not even get to play in any major European title next season, has been the focal point of how the league is unpredictable. In my opinion, it is just their ineptitude that projects through their unpredictability.
Failure To Dominate Europe
The UEFA Champions League final of this season had two Premier League giants pitted against each other and no matter what happened, the EPL won. However, taking that into perspective, their failure to claim either of the European titles for themselves is sufficient insight into their inabilities.
Most pundits hailing from England predicted an easy win for the Red Devils in the Europa League finale, however, we all know how that turned out.
To put matters into perspective, since the year 2000, English Premier League clubs have been able to secure a European title only a mere eight times, as opposed to the gargantuan 30 (approx) times of the Spanish league clubs.
In no way does this statistic portray the prolific status of the English clubs in the slightest of senses. Maybe most fans get smitten by their oh-so-good British charms but welp, what would I know.
Performance Against Other European Teams
I am aware of it being a subdivision of the previous point, however, it is only fair that I elucidate on the same. Through the past decade, there have been quite a few occurrences of the Big Six of the EPL going toe to toe against other European teams, be it in a friendly or otherwise. The results of these clashes have not been as great as one would deem them to be.
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Everyone remembers 2017’s Arsenal vs Bayern Munich match where the Bavarians absolutely annihilated the English side with them securing the win with a 10 goal margin (aggregate). There have been instances of EPL sides trumping other European teams as well, however, they have been negligible.
The most prolific victories for the EPL came in the form of Origi’s corner against Barcelona that led Liverpool to play against Spurs in the UCL finals, alongside Chelsea’s win this year against Real Madrid.
Yet, they have failed to perform on more instances than one, as could be seen with Liverpool’s defeat to Real Madrid this season. Suffice to say, it has been fairly humdrum for the English.
However, with Chelsea securing the win over Manchester City to secure the crown of being Europe’s finest, maybe it is time for EPL to shine as they once did before. As they say, it is never too late to redeem oneself and it is time for them to live up to their own hype.
Image Source: Google Images
Sources: Bleacher Report, The 18, Bundesliga, The Indian Express
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