If you read my piece last week on WorldFootballyDaily.com, you’ll know that I think it’s too close to call this year as to which league in Europe is the best between La Liga, the Bundesliga, Serie A, and the EPL. But, there is something I have to get off my chest. The past few weeks, there has seemed to be something out there, every day, in either the print media, internet, TV, or radio labeling FC Barcelona’s brilliance as false because La Liga is nothing more than the SPL on Steroids. If I hear this over-beaten cliché of the SPL on Steroids again I think I’m going to vomit.
The logic seems to go like this. Barca is on pace to break the most points and goals scored in La Liga history. Real Madrid is a hair-length behind them. Thus, the rest of La Liga must be a joke of a league because there are two teams so supremely good on the league table. So in order to be truly legit, Barca or Madrid must prove it on the road at Stoke, Blackburn, Bolton, etc.
I have a hard time taking these sorts comments as informed, at all, even if it’s coming from the best and brightest at esteemed media outlets like SkySports, The Guardian, or ESPN. I really have to question one’s knowledge of La Liga if they don’t think Villarreal, Valencia, Espanyol, Atlético Madrid, Getafe, Athletic Bilbao, Mallorca, and Sevilla compare with Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea, Sunderland, Bolton, Newcastle, Blackburn, and Stoke City. Heck, look at Bilbao, they have Fernando Llorente and Javi Martinez, two players that would walk into any team in the EPL including Manchester United, City, Chelsea, Tottenham, and Arsenal. Bilbao is mid-table in La Liga. And despite Sunday’s losing to Madrid in what may have been the game of the season in Europe, Villarreal seems capable of winning or at least making a run in any of Europe’s leagues.
The reality of it is that Barca, Madrid, and Borussia Dortmund, for that matter, are outliers this year. This does not mean a league is weak.
It seems as if EPL supporters are in denial about the few steps backwards their league has taken in two years from when they were the undisputed best league in the world by having three teams in the Champions League semifinals. None of which beat Barca. If the best team or teams in the world aren’t in the EPL, the emotional reaction seems to be to attack those doing well. Attack Barca. Attack Madrid. Attack La Liga as a whole. (I forgot to add that Real Sociedad, Deportivo, Osasuna, and Málaga are some pretty decent teams as well.)
Should Barca or Madrid be chastised for playing what most people in the world consider either beautiful or breath-taking football and winning at the same time? The haters label Barca as ticky-tacky as if it was anti-football. The ticky-tacky label feels like name-calling. You may not see teams like the current Barca and Madrid score like this for years. Why not simply enjoy the spectacle while you can?
In terms of talent, if look at the Ballon d’Or candidates in big four leagues, La Liga has the most with 11 of the 23 (Xabi Alonso, Dani Alves, Iker Casillas, Cristiano Ronaldo, Diego Forlán, Andrés Iniesta, Lionel Messi, Mesut Özil, Carles Puyol, David Villa, and Xavi), more than double that of the Bundesliga with the next most at 5 (Miroslav Klose, Philipp Lahm, Thomas Müller, Arjen Robben, Bastian Schweinsteiger). Serie A has four (Samuel Eto’o, Júlio César, Maicon, and Wesley Sneijder). And finally the EPL has 3 (Didier Drogba, Cesc Fabregas, and Asamoah Gyan). Don’t get me wrong, I know awards are politically, but here is a gap here.
Recent media attacks on Barcelona for accepting a shirt sponsor seem born out of jealously as well. The fact Barcelona still gives money to Unicef, will keep Unicef on the center of the jersey, donates money to many charities that promote freedom and democracy throughout the world, is a membership organization, and serves as a symbol for liberty, still makes it més que un club. I remember people used to tell me U2’s and Springsteen’s music was horrible because the pretentiousness of their politics as being above others. This is ridiculous. The Qatar Foundation on Barca’s jersey does not erase the good they go in the world.
Now, all this being said, I still don’t believe there is a clear “best” league between La Liga, the Bundesliga, Serie A, and the EPL. However, cretinous, half-witted, uninformed attacks on La Liga and Barca reek of xenophobia or misplaced anger. Further, I also don’t think Barca has earned its place on the Mount Rushmore of all-time greats in Club football. In order to displace either the Madrid of the 1950’s, the Bayern and Ajax of the 1970’s, or AC Milan of the 1980-90’s, Barca needs to win the Champions League again with their current vintage. More about this at a later day. Be a lover not a hater. Life’s too short to hate beautiful football.
If you have feedback, I’m at BarcaBlogger.com (Blog), facebook.com/BarcaBlogger (Facebook), or @BarcaBlogger (Twitter). I accept all soccer-related invites on Facebook and Twitter. During the club season, I write pieces related to La Liga & Spain for World Football Daily on Tuesdays and articles about FC Barcelona for BarcaBlogger.com on Fridays.
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