6 + 5: European Football In Need Of Some Arithmetic?

Finland to Argentina. Norway muscles into Portugal. Free kick given. From the touchline, Spain frantically barks out instructions. Czech Republic punts a meaty ball upfield which is challenged for by the Ivory Coast and Finland. The ball breaks to France, who shifts a diagonal pass back to
Ghana. Israel harries to try and win possession. Moments later the half time whistle blows.

No, the above passage of play is not an excerpt of commentary from the United Nations’ annual kickabout, but rather that of the Champions League semi final second leg between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge, albeit with a slight twist. Chelsea went on to win said clash 3-2 after extra time in what was a thrilling match that sets up the first all-English final in European Cup history.

The outcome of the quarter finals also meant that for the second year running three sides from the English Premier League qualified for the Champions League semis and, significantly, that outside of the Premiership only Barcelona and AC Milan have even made it to the last four of Europe’s elite competition in the past two seasons. The sort of statistic that doubtless has Andy Gray and Richard Keys salivating like butchers’ dogs.

In the aftermath of any entertaining Premier League game shown on Sky Sports, the post-match analysis more often than not involves pundits in the studio guffawing with delight at what has just taken place. Be it a scrappy yet high-scoring draw between two teams fighting for survival at the bottom of the league or a pulsating, high-octane clash between one of the so-called ‘Big Four,’ commonly declared after such matches is the classic line, ‘and THAT is why this is the Best League in the World.’

Now, propaganda is propaganda, and no doubt the directors and overlords at Sky dish out firm orders to presenters to shamelessly hawk the Premier League ‘product’ and ram the party line down the throats of spectators who, they assume, are brainless enough to vacuously swallow anything they spout. This while at the same time hoping we the spectators are nationalistic and narrow-minded enough to agree unequivocally and joyously holler cries of ‘giddy up’ and ‘yeeha’ with pride at suggestions that a 2-2 draw at the Riverside on a sodden, damp pitch between two relegation candidates represents the pinnacle of football utopia.

That said however, the recent prospering of English clubs in the Champions League certainly does give Sky’s claim more weight now than at any point in the Premiership’s 16-year history. Which leads to the inevitable question: Is the Premier League now truly the best league in the world?

Certainly, it is the most hyped. From a commercial perspective it is unquestionably head and shoulders above any other domestic competition in world football, and marketing of the league remains unrivalled. One need only look at the huge revenues generated from all manner of commercial ventures for proof. The new deal for media rights to the Premier League generated almost £2.2 billion effective from the 2007/2008 season, meaning that even Derby County can expect a pay-off of around £30 million simply by virtue of finishing bottom of the table. In contrast note that as winners of the 2006 World Cup Italy received £10.9 million.

The knock-on effect of Premier League clubs having such deep pockets is the greater propensity for teams to attract and retain players of a high calibre. Better players mean a better standard of league, naturally. While the top clubs in European football can just about compete with England’s big four, as a collective the Premiership is financially streets ahead of any other division, and even its middle-of-the-road clubs can offer top dollar to players seeking pastures new. Just ask Luka Modric. If money is the measuring tool, English football undoubtedly rules the roost. But does wealth alone allow us to bestow upon England’s top flight the title of best league in the world? Are there not countless other criteria involved in making such assessments? The debate is open to much conjecture.

6 + 5 = The Answer?

As the very antithesis to the self-promotional Keys’ and Souness’ of this world, who see no further than the Premiership as football’s shining light are those who, in riposte, muddy the waters of such debate with what is ultimately a very pertinent point: To what extent can the English league even be quantified as essentially English when the actual percentage of home-grown players is so low?

Of the three English clubs on Champions League semi-final second leg duty recently, just 12 of the 42 players involved were English (29%) while following Steve McLaren’s sacking as England manager the Telegraph took a weekend at random and found only 34% of players starting for their clubs to be English. The Premiership may currently be at the forefront of European leagues in terms of performance, but it seems responsibility for that is as much down to its diversity as anything else.

With this in mind is it perhaps time then for imposition of Sepp Blatter’s proposed ‘6 plus 5’ rule, whereby six players in every club team’s starting line-up would have to qualify to play for the country in which they ply their trade? Such a law is archaic in many respects (no surprise with Blatter the brains behind it) and unpopular with UEFA President Michel Platini, but would it not create a fairer ratio of local to foreign talent, and if so would this be in any way beneficial for the health of domestic leagues across Europe?

Or, like the all-Spanish final of 2000 (Real Madrid 3-0 Valencia) and the all-Italian final of 2003 (AC Milan 0-0 a.e.t; 3-2 pens Juventus), is the current Premier League dominance of the Champions League merely part of a natural cycle that poses no real cause for long-term alarm?