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Spain is going through the worst possible economic crisis, and naturally, the football activities too have taken a huge hit. This new season, the stadiums will be merely half full and the clubs have done no good to themselves over the past decade, in economic terms.
The massive debt accumulated is forcing players to move out of Spain. Only some stern and desperate measures can save La Liga from imploding. Even though Barcelona and Real Madrid have huge debts, they have already spent large sums on new players this summer.
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With the English and French leagues leading in the transfer market, La Liga will have to suffice with resources available within. According to the current figures, the Spanish league has a net positive balance of 68.5 million pounds in this transfer window, with some very good players moving to other leagues.
The major spenders are obviously the Clasico clubs, spending about £60 million each, with Barcelona bringing in a new face from Brazil, Neymar. It is probably the most fanciest signing and has the potential to pool in some more money from the viewership and sponsors front, not only for Barcelona but for the whole league as well. Real Madrid on the other hand, chose to tap local talent in the form of Isco and Illaramendi, and stand as firm favorites to win the league this season.
When we apply our dominance theory to the Spanish league, we halt abruptly at the very first step. It has been a two-club league from a long time, and continues to be, for the foreseeable future and both the teams have an equal chance of making it to the semifinals in Europe, thanks to the quality they possess. So we can expect to see both the clubs putting up a good challenge with some epic midweek nights.
Serie A
Reeling under similar circumstances as Spain, Italy too has not had a good period in terms of economy. But, they had already hit rock bottom last season, with the match fixing scandal and recession crippling them simultaneously. The Italian league is now recovering and they stand third in the money spent in the transfer window, behind EPL and Ligue 1.
Surprisingly, Roma has been the highest spender with £40 million and Napoli following closely with £37 million. Most of that revenue came from the sale of high profile players to other leagues. In spite of such cash splash, the Serie A has a net positive balance of £17 million, which is a good thing.
Tevez in his new colors
Juventus have only gotten better from last season, as they now have some ‘real’ strikers in Tevez and Llorente. They should pose considerable threat to the elite clubs, and are capable of claiming that semis berth.
Napoli too have a decent squad, and with Benitez as their coach, they might have an easy ride up to the quarters, but will have to pull off a miracle to go a step further. Nothing more can be expected from the Italian league, as it is clearly in the phase of rebuilding, and it will take few more years to reach that Europe dominating period.
Bundesliga
The Germans are the real deal in today’s world. Dortmund’s heroics last season earned them a huge fan base across the world, and the league as a whole will be benefited with the increased TV revenue from every corner.
The all German Champions League final in May, paved way for the spell of German dominance of Europe. All these positive outcomes are a result of some calculated and intelligent planning by the German FA back in 2003. Germany is one of those countries trying to get nations like Greece and Spain out of the financial crisis, and football has a special place for the administrators of the country.
The meticulous planning of building a local youth setup all across Germany has paid fruitful dividends. With not much spending, and an array of home-grown talent at their disposal, the Bundesliga clubs need not worry about financial troubles for the next decade.
Gotze’s Bayern introduction
Dubbed as the most unpredictable league on the planet, the Bundesliga has the potential to create teams capable of winning the Champions League. Dortmund is an example of this scenario. There has always been the debate on allotment of 4 Champions league slots to the Germans and less to Italy, and the protesters have their answer now.
Bayern Munich, who have been consistently reaching the finals of the UCL, are now a more dangerous and fearsome force under Pep Guardiola. There is no doubt that they are the best team in the world at the moment, and teams have to stage the play of their lives to beat Guardiola and Co.
The German league is past the rebuilding stage and is now stamping its authority over other leagues with some attractive young talent. The World Cup next summer will surely be a stage where the Germans will want to excel and help extend the notion of the dominance, further.
