Crash of a football power
Emigration, embarrassment, quarrels: what’s wrong with Spanish football?
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There was no getting around Spanish teams recently when it came to international titles. But the league and teams have lost their shine. And argue. Just an interim low or the beginning of a major crisis?
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Real striker Karim Benzema can’t believe his eyes after the 2-1 defeat against the blatant outsider Sheriff Tiraspol.
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The Spanish “LaLiga” was once the measure of all things. The best football league in the world. A league in which the most filigree ball artists fell. Ronaldo, Zinédine Zidane, Luís Figo, Ronaldinho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar, etc. All of them were once to be admired in Spain.
The clubs of the highest Spanish league also celebrated successes internationally. And that en masse. As of 2009, the winner of the Champions League came from Spain seven times in ten events. In the second best European competition, the Europa League, the dominance is still clearly evident in recent history: Since 2010, a team from Spain has lifted the cup eight times in the twelve events.
World stars play in France and England
The present looks different. After two rounds in the Champions League (CL), only two Spanish teams left the pitch as winners in ten games. Real Madrid embarrassed themselves against the first-time CL participant Sheriff Tiraspol from the Republic of Moldova. Los Blancos lost 2-1 at home in Bernabéu. The FC Barcelona went down against the middle class club Benfica Lisbon from Portugal with 0: 3 without a hitch.
It goes without saying that the verdict after the humiliation in the sports media in Spain was devastating: “Shot by the sheriff”, “In the mangle” (Mundo Deportivo), “Violent fall”, “Total loss” (Marca), “The sheriff makes his law through »,« Sunk »(AS).
So is the «LaLiga» in a deep crisis of meaning? A few facts and figures speak for it:
- The world stars are currently playing in France and England. In the arms race against the sheikhs and oligarchs, the Spaniards are left behind.
- Compared to the top five leagues, none are currently falling as many goals as in the Primera División. 2.38 goals can be seen per game this season. In the Italian Serie A there is almost one more hit with 3.23.
- In addition, an obsolescence can be observed among professionals. The average age in the league is 27.5 years. The highest value of the top leagues.
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–The big stars are currently playing elsewhere: Neymar, Mbappé and Messi (from left to right).
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In addition, Barça, Real and Athletic Bilbao are currently arguing with the league. At a general meeting on August 12th, it signed a contract with the former Formula 1 owner CVC. For the next 50 years, «LaLiga» will give the financial company from Luxembourg 10.95 percent of the income from television rights to all games in the two top leagues. In return, 2.6 billion euros will flow to the clubs. The three clubs are now opposing this deal and are taking legal action against it.
Patience. Success. Wonder.
Nevertheless, a distinction must be made between the two traditional clubs Barça and Real. The Madrilenians embarrassed themselves, but failed mainly because of their inability (30 degrees). FC Barcelona, on the other hand, is acting without ideas or concepts this season. At a memorable press conference a few days ago, Barça coach Ronald Koeman asked for “patience”. The indebted club must find itself again, a rank in the upper range of the championship is already a “success”. “Miracles”, on the other hand, shouldn’t be expected.
With such a record (0 points in the CL, 6th place in the league), the coach would have been replaced recently. The clammy Catalans (1.35 billion debts) simply cannot afford a severance payment for the Dutch coach and a salary for a new trainer. The Spanish teams shouldn’t afford any further slip-ups at the moment. The gap in the 5-year ranking of UEFA (1st England, 2nd Spain) on the Italian and German leagues is still large. But if the «LaLiga» continues to lose its attractiveness, this gap can be closed quickly.
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