Stuttgart’s Serdar Tasci, left, and Berlin player Andrey Voronin, right, challenge for the ball during the German first soccer Bundesliga match between VfB Stuttgart and Hertha BSC Berlin in the stadium in Stuttgart, Germany, on Saturday, March 21, 2009. AP Photo/Christof Stache
The best club in Europe has been decided, but the question still remains: which domestic league is superior? To determine this, FIFA needs to create a Battle of the Leagues, where the four biggest play a knockout tournament at a neutral arena with the winner named the best domestic league in Europe each year.
The following is summary of each league and their possible representative team in order of who I believe are the best domestic leagues. Below are possible squads and managers using a 4-4-2 formation (of, course the manager would use his own system).
Spanish Primera División
Spanish football is currently experiencing its time as the dominant football force. Currently the national team are 2008 Euro Champions and will go in as one of the favourites for the World Cup. La Liga champions Barcelona are also Champions League winners for 2009, and have a young enough squad to dominate for years to come. With Real Madrid flirting with the idea of returning back to the Galacticos years, the La Liga appears primed as the one to boast the most pristine football talent for 2010.
The Spanish Primera rep squad would be dominated by Barcelona and Real Madrid. Guardiola would manage the squad. The midfield and strikers include Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Henry and Eto from Barcelona, with Robben from Real on the right flank. Former FIFA World Player of the year, Cannavaro, would captain the team, with Casillas in goal. The squad includes eight Spanish representatives, including the manager.
English Premier League
The English Premier League (EPL) will always be one of the most exciting leagues in Europe. The big question for teams in the EPL is whether the English teams change their style of play to match the Spanish clubs. Manchester United and Liverpool at times played great entertaining football, but like Chelsea, they tend to prefer a more cautious approach to the big games, which is not so great for spectators.
Mancheter United dominate the EPL squad, with five players and manager, Sir Alex Ferguson. Ferdinand and Vidic would defend in front of in-form goalie, Schwarzer. Ronaldo and Robinho would terrorize defenders down both wings while Gerrard as skipper and Fábregas control the midfield. Up front, Torres and Anelka would be supported by Rooney off the bench. The rep squad includes five English players and a Scottish Manager, with the rest made up of foreigners.
Italian Seria A
The Seria A is struggling at the moment. The Italians have had their time at the top and they need to rebuild a new generation of players. After AC Milan dominated in Europe and the national team won the 2006 World Cup, their players are aging. The EPL and La Liga will poach Seria A’s best, which leaves the domestic competition to develop the next generation, which may be tough for a few seasons but will in the end result in another golden era. The special one, Jose Mourinho, if he stays in Italy will offer some hope for Inter Milan in the next Champions League.
The special one is the ideal manager for the Rep squad. His Inter team would provide five players, including Swedish striker Ibrahimovic up front, with captain Totti. AC Milan provides the whole midfield, with stars Beckham, Pirlo, Kaka and Ronaldinho pulling the strings. The squad would also include the world’s best goalkeeper, Buffon, from Juventus. The Seria A rep squad includes six Italians.
German Bundesliga
The failure of Bayern Munich this season has given hope to teams like Wolfsburg, who won the Bundesliga this year. If Bayern Munich loses the likes of Ribery, the German league might struggle for star power. However, with such an open league, many quality players will have their chance to shine without the focus on Bayern’s stars.
The Bundesliga rep team would be managed by Wolfsburg’s winning manager, Felix Magath. Wolfsburgs deserve at least three players in the squad but Bayern would provide the star power with Lahm and Lucio in defence and attacking players Toni, Podolski, Klose and Ribery. Weder Bremen would provide the central midfield with Frings as captain and Diego. Nearly 50 percent of this squad is made up of German talent, which is promising for the future.
REP SQUADS:
Spanish Primera División:
GK: Iker Casillas – Real Madrid
RB: Carles Puyol – Barcelona
CB: Fabio Cannavaro (C)- Real Madrid
CB: Gerard Pique – Barcelona
LB: Gabriel Heinze – Real Madrid
RW: Arjen Robben – Real Madrid
CM: Xavi- Barcelona
CM: Andrés Iniesta – Barcelona
LW: Lionel Messi – Barcelona
ST: Samuel Eto’o – Barcelona
ST: Thierry Henry – Barcelona
Bench:
GK: Víctor Valdés – Barcelona
DEF: Rafael Márquez – Barcelona
MID: Marcos Senna
FWD: David Villa
Manager: Josep Guardiola – Barcelona
8 – Spanish
English Premier League:
GK: Mark Schwarzer – Fulham
RB: Michael Essien – Chelsea
CB: Rio Ferdinand – Manchester United
CB: Nemanja Vidic – Manchester United
LB: Gaël Clichy – Arsenal
RW: Cristiano Ronaldo – Manchester United
CM: Steven Gerrard (C) – Liverpool
CM: Cesc Fábregas – Arsenal
LW: Robinho – Manchester City
ST: Fernando Torres – Liverpool
ST: Nicolas Anelka – Chelsea
Bench:
GK: Edwin van der Sar – Manchester United
DEF: John Terry – Chelsea
MID: Frank Lampard – Chelsea
FWD: Wayne Rooney – Manchester United
Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson – Manchester United
6 – British
Italian Seria A:
GK: Gianluigi Buffon – Juventus
RB: Maicon – Inter Milan
CB: Ivan Cordoba – Inter Milan
CB: Alessandro Nesta – AC Milan
LB: Gianluca Zambrotta – AC Milan
RW: David Beckham – AC Milan
CM: Andrea Pirlo – AC Milan
CM: Kaká – AC Milan
LW: Ronaldinho – AC Milan
ST: Francesco Totti (C) – Roma
ST: Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Inter Milan
Bench:
GK: Sebastien Frey – Fiorentina
DEF: Cristian Chivu – Inter Milan
MID: Sulley Ali Muntari – Inter Milan
FWD: Alessandro Del Piero – Juventus
Manager: Jose Mourinho – Inter Milan
6- Italians
German Bundesliga:
GK: Diego Benaglio – Wolfsburg
RB: Andrea Barzagli – Wolfsburg
CB: Josip Simunic – Hertha Berlin
CB: Ferreira Lucio – Bayern Munich
LB: Philipp Lahm – Bayern Munich
RW: Lukas Podolski – Bayern Munich
CM: Torsten Frings (C) – Weder Bremen
CM: Diego – Weder Bremen
LW: Franck Ribéry – Bayern Munich
ST: Miroslav Klose – Bayern Munich
ST: Luca Toni – Bayern Munich
Bench:
GK: Jens Lehmann – Stuttgart
DEF: Khalid Boulahrouz – Stuttgart
MID: Bastian Schweinsteiger – Bayern Munich
FWD: Edin Dzeko – Wolfsburg
Manager: Felix Magath – Wolfsburg
7- Germans
jaime ortega
Guest
This is a retarded threat! La Liga is way more technical than england. Lets check the midfield in spain. Robben Joaquin Arango Senna KAKA Cristiano Ronaldo Jesus Navas David Capel Simao Van Der Vart Diarra De La Pena Luis Garcia(Atletico) Luis Garcia (Espayol) Reyes Maxi Rodriguez Iniesta David Silva Andre Guardado Duscher Pires Santi Cazorla Xavi Baraja Riera Yeste Vicente Matias Fernandez Negredo Juan Mata ................................... Strikers Forlan Etoo Giussepe Rossi Kanute Nihat Messi Henry Aguero Sergio Garcia David Villa Van Nistelooij Saviola Pandiani Luis Fabiano Tamudo Zigic Arizmendi Jose Extecheberria Sinama Pongolle Uche Bojan Krick Morientes Huntelar .... dude La iga is the best league in the planet!!!
Billo
Guest
MVDave, I agree that Manchester United are an immensely impressive club, and that they don't seem to have too much trouble servicing that massive debt. But they are relying on never slipping from their perch. The real danger for the club financially will be when Alex Ferguson retires. Will a new manager be able to sustain his level of success? It will be very interesting to find out. Similarly, my own club Chelsea will face a question mark if and when Abramovich departs, although I take the point that Abramovich can unilaterally reduce the indebtedness to him, and has already done so.
MVDave
Guest
Value of the top teams in world football; http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/34/soccer-values-09_Soccer-Team-Valuations_Rank.html Billo ManU may have almost $1 billion debt but are valued at nearly $2 billion. The most valuable sports club in the world, according to Forbes magazine.
MVDave
Guest
Which league is better can be argued until the cows come home but there is little doubt which is the most popular...ManU are about to announce the richest shirt sponsorship deal in history with Aon, another American insurance company, worth $160 Aus over 4 years (80m pounds). Put your glasses down the EPL rules the world!
Slippery Jim
Guest
Billo, you make some good points, in reference to the Guaridan article, however, if you read that article more carefully, it was a report on accounts up until about July 2008, since which time, as the article points out, Chelsea have reduced the interest-free loan to Roman Abramovich to £339.8m, which is less than Arsenal's level of debt. The latest figures show La Liga clubs at a similar level of debt to EPL clubs, with Real Madrid (€527m) Atletico Madrid (€430m)and Barcelona (€388m) leading the pack, and some clubs technically bankrupt. http://www.goal.com/en/news/722/la-liga/2009/01/07/1048072/new-report-reveals-massive-debts-in-la-liga
Billo
Guest
Soccer in England is in a different league to anywhere else in the world on any number of criteria. Quality of play, enthusiasm of supporters, stadiums, media coverage, international interest, and so on. The big four clubs drive all that forward. In one other sense the English Premier League leads the field. There's a report in the English newspaper the Guardian this morning that the EPL clubs owe £3.1 billion between them, with Manchester United and Chelsea at the top of the league with debts of £699 million and £701 million respectively. There's a developing debate about whether clubs should be able to 'buy' success with so much debt.
Slippery Jim
Guest
http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/blogs/philip-micallef/the-epl-still-rules-the-roost-190825/ Phillip Micallef agrees that despite Barca's win in the UCL, the EPL is still the greatest league in the world.
Ryan Steele
Roar Pro
This article was a fantastic idea in theory, but terrible in execution. I seems to be made up of the best stats from a FIFA or Pro Evo game, not the best players of the season. I won't nitpick, but I can say for sure that your Serie A and Bundesliga XI teams are way off the mark.
Redb
Roar Guru
The answer is clear; The Australian Football League. Redb
Koala Bear
Guest
Without a shade of a doubt it is the Cambodian Premier League The best league in the world is right here in Australia - our very own A-League. Ben and Jimbo, that's the spirit ... There's nothing like your own home league.... ;) ~~~~~~~~ KB
jimbo
Guest
The best league in the world is right here in Australia - our very own A-League. Its relatively inexpensive, its accessible, no waiting lists or unavailable season tickets, plenty of good seats available, its played at a reasonable hour of the day, you don't have to travel 24 hours on a plane to go and watch it and its Australian made and the profits stay right here in this country.
Sam
Guest
There is no way there should be 5 Milan players there. Ronaldinhio? He hardly played this year, same with Nesta. Your missing Cambiasso who is an out and out star, as well as Gilardinio who is close to top scorer in the league. Speaking of top scorers, Forlan doesnt even make your Spanish League bench, and Aguero?Puyol and Cannavaro are also in there (Yaya Toure anyone?), have you even watched him play this season. Looks like you will have to watch some proper games of football and not just news highlights before making your teams mate.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Guest
Without a shade of a doubt it is the Cambodian Premier League :)
Art Sapphire
Guest
Greg - I was not being aggressive. Gee..I even put a smiley face on my comment for all those who need more help :)
Brian
Guest
Ok I'll waste some time Spain - Cassilas, Scaloni, Cannavarro, Pepe, Alvez, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Robben, Henry, Etoo England - Cech, Clichy, Terry, Ferdinand, Sagna, Essien, Fabregas, Gerrard, Robinho, Ronaldo, Torres Italy - Buffon, Maicon, Chiellini, Kjaer, Cordoba, Cambiasso, De Rossi, Kaka, Ronaldinho, Pato, Ibrahimovic Dont know enough about Germany
Greg
Guest
Wow Art, lay off him! It's just a subjective list, it's never going to happen, it's more to stimulate some debate - no need to get so aggressive!!
Billy McClure
Roar Rookie
My point is that I didn't just choose my personal favourite players, sorry for the confusion. As a Man U fan I could have picked more Man U players but instead tried to pick a squad that would be picked if such rep squad existed
Art Sapphire
Guest
Billy - how can you claim that the squads you selected were not your personal picks?? I did not see a disclaimer saying that these were not your choices but the choice of Herr Blatter. You even made justifications for the squad selections. Do I detect a a split-personality at work here :)
Billy McClure
Roar Rookie
Thanks for all the comment so far. In response I would like to say that the squads I choose were not all my personal picks. I tried to mix it up by choosing players based on who would be chosen to play if such tournamant existed and who I thought deserved to be there based on their season performance. To get bums on seats I would think FIFA would demand each league to chooses its biggest names to get media attention and support. For example Beckham and Ronaldinho would be a must even though they are no long the form players in their positions. Anelka was EPL top goalscorer so I thought I should add him, personally I would prefer Teves but he played as a sub for most of the year or Drogbar who only featured when Guus came in. I would of loved to have added more Wolfsburg players in particular Grafite and Misimovic but I think through media pressure stars like Klose and Toni would be selected instead and cause the usual unjustice we see in rep selections in all sports. I only included a 4 league tournament because FIFA would not likely allow anything bigger. An event like this could be done in week fitting into the FIFA calendar. Also the idea was to pitt the best of the best against each other to see which league has the strongest competition in Europe, if Portugal for example had more success than German teams they would get the nod to join instead of the other. I thought about adding the rule that each club must have at least one player selected. If such an event existed squad would be bigger with at least 5 subs and the formation would be up to the manager. The article is for us fans to have fun discussing and debating about the best leagues, players, managers. Iwould like to know what squads, managers or formations would readers chose and why?
Millster
Guest
I'm with the others in thinking that the list is far too focused on big names from big clubs - so your specific picks are very dodgy. Also I would not limit it to big 4 leagues only. An "All Stars" tournament of leagues which also included France, Holland, Japan, and a couple more major pro leagues would I think be most interesting. Some of course (eg MLS) you might pick not for world standard but for the audience and exposure they would bring. However points for a fun hypothetical.