LA LIGA: RAISING THE BAR

They say the La Liga isn't as competitive as England's Premier League – sometimes even pitched as boring for its lack of quality on show by the participating clubs. Subtracting Real Madrid and FC Barcelona from the scenario, La Liga has always been treated in inferiority. The statistics may draw a different story, however, football fans would concur with the ancillary effect the remaining 18 clubs create for the Real-Barca dominance, which has undoubtedly spread across Europe. Considering the exposure Asia, and especially India, has had of professional club football over the years, it is an easy guess why in a group gathering of ten football enthusiasts, eight will be Premier League club supporters.

Of course, for this part, the Premier League can be credited for its evidently better marketing impact on India. But speaking of contemporary times, the 21st century has witnessed a different story. With the growing TV coverage of matches and live internet streaming, opting for the Premier League has become a choice rather than being the only option. In this age of ample access to matches from all these top professional club football competitions, the competitiveness of the same becomes the deciding factor for the audience and it just so happens that Premier League does come out at the top for being unpredictably exciting throughout the season (or, at least, for the most part).

Competitiveness?

On the domestic front, the aforementioned statement on how the Premier League is the preferred choice has been established by its nerve-racking competitiveness even in the dying stages of the season. For instance, in 2012, Manchester City snatched the title in practically the last minute with two stoppage time goals by Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero against QPR to stun the Red Devils – who were on the verge of winning their 20th League Title – with a championship victory on goal difference. A better example would be in the closely contested top-four spots of the Premier League between Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United, which has in recent times become top six with Tottenham and Manchester City doing just enough, rather better, to make the competition even more cut-throat.

This has further augmented the already tight table with other clubs who are capable of upsetting the favourites – as unpredictably as the English weather itself! When drawing a contrast with La Liga, besides Barcelona and Real Madrid, only Athletico Madrid has come close to usurping the Spanish giants from their dominance in the last 14 years by winning the League in 2013-14.

On the European stage, the dominance of La Liga is unparalleled with its clubs' constant outstanding performing. According to UEFA's league coefficient, La Liga has been the top league in Europe over the last five years and has led Europe for more years (21) than any other country. It has also produced the continent's top-rated club more times (21) than any other league, more than double that of second-placed Serie A. Its clubs have won the most UEFA Champions League (18), UEFA Europa League (11), UEFA Super Cup (15) and FIFA Club World Cup (six) titles; and its players have accumulated the highest number of (FIFA) Ballon d'Or awards (19). In the past decade alone, a non-Spanish winner of UCL has only emerged thrice with either Real or Barca taking home the grandest prize of club football on all other occasions. Factually, the competitiveness of Spanish clubs is higher than that of the English clubs, at least on the European stage.

The Spanish clubs also hold a massive advantage in England vs Spain Champions League matches played in the knockout rounds. The leagues have met 33 times in knockout competitions, with Spanish clubs moving on 21 times, 64 per cent of the time. The astounding figure highlights the lacklustre performance of Premier League clubs who are otherwise touted as ultra-competitive on the domestic front. 'Where did all the competitiveness go' is the apt rhetoric in recent times.

Henceforth, it is better to say that the La Liga is competitive, but only within the other 18 teams, or 17 if Athletico is considered the threat that it has become under Simeone. On a given day, Villareal up against Everton or Sevilla taking on Spurs, or even Arsenal, can result in the Spanish teams outflanking the English sides. The bottom line being that La Liga too is competitive, only with two or rather three exceptionally good sides, just as how there are good players all around and then there is Ronaldo and Messi.

Current Scenario

The ongoing season has been touted as the most competitive since the turn of the century, with 11 teams battling over a span of six points after nine weeks. Neither is any team winless nor unbeaten. The most shocking performance has been recorded by a profligate Real Madrid who hasn't won any of the last four of their league games going into the El Clásico today against a sloppy but cautious Barcelona who has managed to lead the table despite slip-ups. A recent 1-2 defeat at the hands of Levante has further complicated things for the new head coach Lopetegui, who has a lot riding on his managerial stint at the Bernabeu in today's Clasico.

The most likely result should Barca win over their arch-rivals is Lopetegui being sacked. Unable to replace their transferred Cristiano Ronaldo, Real are also suffering a goal-scoring drought which must be dealt with absolute urgency to avoid a mishap in the starting stages of the new season. Mediocre teams have started to pull surprising results against the good teams and that has been a plus in the overall development of La Liga. Having been on a 37-game unbeaten run in their last campaign, Barcelona has already stumbled this season. Failing to capitalise on the opportunity, Athletico isn't exactly looking like the reckoning third force they're pitched to be. Amidst the confusion lies the scope of increasing competitiveness, hinting at the dynamicity of the fast-growing league which aims to dethrone Premier League in terms of viewership and domestic competition.

The robust performance by the mid-table, ensued by strengthened squads in the transfer window, can be seen in the rising competitiveness of La Liga. Pushed down the table by Espanyol and Alaves, the Madrid clubs will be looking to find their stability and form back in time. If not, Barcelona might look to steal away a third consecutive La Liga, starting with the first El Clásico of the season at Camp Nou. At this point, a fairytale conclusion, such as that of Leicester's, can be dreamed for Deportivo Alaves who sit third on the table after Match-day 9. The robustness emanating from the current season has set the tone for a more open title fight, at least to some extent.

On the plus side, this attracts viewership. Spain has benefited a lot from its golden years that sparked off with the Euro '08 triumph. Big names had always ended up in Spain and the trend has only compounded. It is time La Liga grabbed global attention for its quality of football. On a concluding note, it is nice to see small teams fairly defeating the big guns, even in their homes – setting the stage for a dynamic season.