Luis Suarez from Liverpool to Barcelona. Sure, that’s been the biggest news of the summer in England. But what about the other transfers? Nemanja Vidic to Internazionale on a free transfer. Patrice Evra to Juventes on a free transfer. David Luiz to PSG.
Notice a trend? I do. The marquee names are leaving English football, which is known to be the most competitive, and this poses a significant question. Are the superstars leaving the English Premier League because it is losing its flair as the league?
If this is true, which I believe so, there is a massive culture shift happening right now in the scene of European soccer.
For professional athletes, trophies and silverware remain as the highest importance in determining where to play and who to play for. And since people started playing the game of soccer (rumor has it soccer started in England), soccer players dreamed of playing in the Premier League (EPL). Six clubs have a legitimate shot at the title each year, and even some teams not based in Manchester, Liverpool, or London have a chance at an upset.
If anything, the past decade in the EPL lived up to the hype. Take a look:
Cristiano Ronaldo, Frank Lampard, Thierry Henry, Ryan Giggs, Ruud van Nistlerooy, and Didier Drogba. These guys all played in the EPL and will, no doubt, cement themselves a place in history for both their respective clubs and nations. They are legends.
And the impact they made in European tournaments? Van Nistlerooy scored a tournament-high 8 goals for Manchester United during the 2004-05 Champions League run. Liverpool, by the way, won that year. For the next four years, until the 2009-10 season, an English team won the tournament or came as runners-up, which is no easy task.
But the past three years, the trend points to leagues like the La Liga in Spain, or the Bundesliga in Germany, as the places that attracts players. Cristiano Ronaldo might have taken the first major step in this revolution by fulfilling his long-time desire to play for Real Madrid. After that, the likes of Gareth Bale (Real Madrid), Alex Song (Barcelona), Luka Modric (Real Madrid), and Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich) transferred to the La Liga or the Bundesliga. Not only do players from England desire to play for teams in Spain or Germany but superstars from other nations want to play in Spain or Germany. For instance, Neymar was long due a move to either Barcelona or Real Madrid. It was definitely between one or the other, and England was not an option for him. Even recently, nothing could prevent the transfer of World Cup star James Rodriguez.
It’s not just Barcelona or Real Madrid anymore though. Of course, anyone would rather play at these storied franchises, but the competition is not too far behind. Athletico Madrid, Juventes, PSG, FC Monaco have all given players reasons to fight for a place in their squads. Athletico Madrid took Real Madrid all the way in the 2014 Champions League Final, essentially exposing this new culture shift in European football.
So it seems like something’s brewing in Spain, Germany, and even France and Italy. So what? Who cares? And what’s the impact?
Well, if you’re a fan of European soccer, it can have huge implications.
First off, your favorite English teams will come second in a star’s decision to play somewhere. James Rodriguez stated that if he were to move from Monaco, he would only play in Spain. He then distinctly pointed out that English football was not for him because of the physicality of the league, in comparison to the finesse and technicality that the Spanish league thrives on.
Second, EPL clubs won’t have enough to field against the superior quality of the European giants in the Champions League. This will continue to drive down the popularity of playing in the EPL into a spiral.
Now, I’m not saying that the EPL is dead this moment, but with the current situation, the shift to Eastern parts of Europe is not something to overlook. Manchester United still has a strong anchor in Rooney and van Persie. Arsenal continues to surprise many with the acquisitions of Sanchez and Ozil last year. And Chelsea hopes to buy any player it possibly can with owner Roman Abramovich’s infinite-seeming wealth.
Moral of the story?
…Well I’m not too sure myself, but as history is a good indicator in anything, pay close attention to the upcoming transfer markets and seasons. Don’t be surprised when Real Madrid spends big on your favorite English team’s best player.