Image Credit: Metro
By Lee Clow
26 March 2020 | Premier League
After watching Paul Merson and Jamie O’Hara debate following Liverpool’s exit from the Champions League, it made me think what competition, as a footballer, is the greatest to win: The Premier League or The Champions League?
Are the winners of the Champions League based on the luck of the draw? Or is it the best against the best? Is the Premier League the hardest and most competitive league to win? Or is it the same top six every season? Below I briefly discuss both competitions before giving my verdict on the issue.
Why the Premier League is the greatest to win?
To most, the Premier League is the biggest and best league in the world. It has the best players, the best quality of football and the best moments in football history. 20 teams compete against each other for 10 months with every point vital in the season. This is why the Premier League is the greatest to win because it is the most competitive league you’ll ever see. No other league in the world competes with the English topflight in terms of competitiveness. Not only the competitiveness of the league but the fact you have to play 38 games a season is fascinating to watch. 38 games are a lot of games and every team tires and dips in form throughout the season meaning the season is never defined early on and there is always something to play for. You look back on previous seasons where Manchester City pipped Manchester United on the final day of the season in the final seconds of injury time; that was a historic day and it will always be remembered not just by football fans but by everyone. Not only that, but you have the remarkable stories of Blackburn Rovers and Leicester City winning the league and this just proves that anyone can win the competition.
The Premier League does suffer some faults however especially when it comes down to its top six. Majority of the time, the top six of the topflight remain the same meaning it is usually the same winners each year. There are the odd exceptions as I touched upon earlier, however as a footballer if you wanted to win the Premier League you would automatically want to play for one of the top six sides. Other faults the league suffers include the lack of ‘huge’ tests from teams abroad and the lack of knockout football.
Why the Champions League is the greatest to win?
The Champions League is the competition that allows Europe’s best to compete against each other. Too many, the Champions League is the pinnacle of club football and to footballers it is the competition they want to be in. If you are to win the Champions League, you have to be the best because no matter how your draw goes, if you’re not the best you have no chance of winning. This is why it’s the best competition to win because once you do claim the trophy, you will be crowned not only as the Champions of Europe but as the best team. You cannot beat a match day under the lights; this is the stage where the biggest stars make their stance on the world. In the past you’ve had Ole Gunnar Solskjaer score the winner for Manchester United to secure the treble, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo blowing everyone away season after season and an underdog story near much every year. All of these add to the many iconic moments over the years with the best players on show. Another reason to why the Champions League is the best is because once you lose, you are out of the competition, meaning you have to be on top form in every game. Whereas in a league where you can afford to lose a few games, in the Champions League you cannot afford this, or you’ll be picked off by the best. Finally, a big attraction of the Champions League for many footballers is the chance to go aboard and experience the life and culture of other countries when travelling. You do not get this experience in a league as you’re restricted to one country.
Despite the luxuries and the ‘sparkling lights’ of the Champions League, there are still faults which bring it down. One of these is the fact in a season you only play a maximum of 13 games and that to me is not enough for a hugely competitive tournament. Another let down of the Champions League is the fact the teams that compete each season are usually the same which does makes sense as they are the best teams of each country however I would find it fascinating if the so called ‘lesser’ teams could complete like they do in the FA Cup for example. Finally, a team’s success in the Champions League can be down to the luck of the draw and this can be be seen as unfair. However, without the luck of the draw, you could say there would not be an underdog story, so knockout football is certainly worth accepting.
Conclusion:
Overall, to me the best competition to win as a footballer is the Champions League. It is the pinnacle of club football and I feel it is what every footballer should strive towards winning. If you do win the Champions League, then you are without doubt the best team in Europe/the world. Don’t get me wrong the Premier League is one of the best competitions in the world and is certainly the best league in the world but I feel the Champions League has everything from the best players, the best teams, the best stadiums, the best atmospheres and much, much more.
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