There’s a common misconception that the Premier League is the best domestic competition in the world simply because it’s by far the most watched. This isn’t the case in the eyes of many football supporters, regardless of the country or even continent in which they reside.
Whatever reason one attends or watches a match, every fan of the beautiful game appreciates it for a different reasons. One of the most appealing characteristics of football is the varying tempo at which the game is played around the world.
The Premier League is widely hailed as the fastest competition with the likes of Theo Walcott, Eden Hazard and Alexis Sanchez burning players at will and most clubs employing a counter-attacking style. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Spanish La Liga spectators are mesmerized by watching Andrés Iniesta, James Rodriguez and Arda Turan stroke the ball around and pick out pa$$es no ordinary person can see.
Of course, fans and crowd atmosphere are also important characteristics of the essence of football. The electric aura of sitting inside Old Trafford, home to one of the most iconic and successful clubs of all-time, is an entirely different experience to watching the Boca Juniors ultras let off flares at La Bombonera.
However, regardless of what goes on in the terraces or the result of a single match, many supporters treasure the notion of competitiveness throughout the league table, from top to bottom. With no hardline salary caps imposed on the biggest competitions in Europe, financial muscle is often a significant determinant of the final standings come the end of the season.
The Premier League is widely considered the leading player for all of these factors, but here the top 10 reasons the English top-flight isn’t the best league in the world.
10. Gulf Between Lower Leagues
Even though competitiveness is widely regarded as one of the most attractive qualities of the Premier League, this doesn’t apply throughout the entire competition, namely around the foot of the table. Largely due to the gulf in wealth and player quality compared to the 17 other clubs, newly promoted teams often struggle to avoid relegation in their first season in the English top-fight. At least one promoted side has suffered the drop to the Championship since the Premier League’s inception in 1992. Although relegated clubs receive £60m over a four-year period, the FA must ensure Premier League minnows have a better chance of staying up to begin with.
9. English Player Price Inflation
Exorbitant transfer fees are part and parcel of the modern game, but the premium clubs pay for an Englishman is utterly staggering. The combined cost of bringing Raheem Sterling, Adam Lallana, Andy Carroll, Luke Shaw to their current teams amounts to more than £115m, and none of them have come close to justifying such enormous fees (except for Sterling, though it’s likely he won’t be able to match his enormous fee). Homegrown player requirements naturally increase the value of English players, but that’s no excuse for clubs to pay through the teeth in order to sign them. With this in mind, it’s no surprise so few Premier League clubs boast a core of local talent within their ranks.
8. Sub-par Crowd Atmospheres
The iconic Kop signing You’ll Never Walk Alone at Anfield is undeniably one of the most spine-tingling sights in world football, but what else does the Premier League offer in terms of crowd atmosphere? The homely soul Everton fans bring to Goodison Park is special in its own right, although it hardly compares to the Yellow Wall that engulfs the entire south stand of Borussia Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park or the vibrant surroundings of Galatasaray and AS Roma’s arenas. Flairs and intricate choreography isn’t for every football fan, but there’s no question nearly all Premier League grounds lack the fierce intensity of many European counterparts.
7. Foreign Player Overload
Another trend impacting the growth of English talent is the overwhelming presence of foreign players in the Premier League. Premier League squads were made up of just 35% Englishmen during the 2014-15 season, a modest figure in comparison to the 60% German cohort in the Bundesliga and 59% Spanish contingent in La Liga. As local talents compete for minutes with starlets hand-picked from abroad, it’s no wonder English youngsters struggle to cement a place in the first team. However, the FA has taken action by tightening work permit restrictions in a move to encourage clubs to blood homegrown players instead of fielding international recruits.
6. Ludicrous Transfer Decisions
Top 10 Reasons The Premier League Isn’t The Best League In The World
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