Title battles seem to have been much more intense across Europe in the last decade. In the past few years, we haven’t had the opportunity to enjoy big battles for domestic thrones. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule such as the battle between Liverpool and Manchester City for the Premier League supremacy in 2019, but these are rare occasions. We do miss the uncertainty, the tension, the battles until the very last kick of the season. We miss the goosebumps caused by Sergio Aguero’s goal in Manchester City's title-winning comeback against Queens Park Rangers at Etihad. We miss the good old El Clasicos with an electrifying atmosphere both on and off stadiums.
The list goes on and on but we need to address the source. Why is football no longer as exciting as it was in the near past?
“While we can discuss it for days, the most accurate answer probably is money,” said John Pentin, football expert of Bettingtips4you. “Whether we like it or not, football has gone beyond the boundaries of a game (which it essentially is). It is more and more focused on money-making, entertainment, and a way for popular and rich businessmen to succeed.”
Premier League
Manchester City only won two Premier League titles before rich Arabian owners pumped in money to make them a formidable force in England. While they struggled to impose their supremacy in an opening couple of years in the new era, their third Premier League title came in the 2011/12 season after a thrilling stoppage time comeback on the final day against QPR. Since then, Manchester City have always been near the very top of the standings. However, their real dominance started in the 2017/18 campaign. Since then, Manchester City have won three of the last four Premier League campaigns. They are on the best way to make it four titles in the last five years, being miles ahead of the rest of the league in the 2021/22 season.
La Liga
La Liga has always been all about Barcelona and Real Madrid. Los Blancos have been the most successful team in the history of the competition with 34 titles, while Blaugrana sit second with 26. Next are Atletico Madrid with 11 silverwares. We have witnessed some spectacular clashes between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the last decade, but their respective departures to PSG and Juventus/Manchester United have made the Spanish top-flight significantly weaker. The look at the previous four La Liga campaigns will give you the best insight into our thoughts. Barcelona won back-to-back titles in 2017/18 and 2018/19 with 14 and 11 points cushions on second-placed Atletico Madrid. Real Madrid then won the title with a five-point advantage on Barcelona, while Atletico Madrid stole the silverware last season in what was widely marked as one of the weakest La Liga campaigns in the last several decades.
Serie A
Serie A did not follow the same pattern as the rest of the leagues in terms of the sudden appearance of rich foreign owners. This is probably why no Italian team have won the Champions League trophy in the last decade, though. Juventus have been the dominant force in Italian football for years, winning the Scudetto trophy as many as nine times in a row from 2012 to 2020. Ironically, their dominance ended in the 2020/21 season, during Cristiano Ronaldo’s reign in Turin. I Bianconeri signed Portuguese superstar for glory, money, shirt sales, and more. Nevertheless, they have lost the inner team chemistry in the process.
Bundesliga and Ligue 1
German Bundesliga and French Ligue 1 have been all about Bayern Munich and PSG in the last decade. The Bavarians have won nine successive Bundesliga titles from 2013 to 2021 and they are on the best way to make it ten on the bounce in the current campaign. Being the richest team in their country, Bayern Munich tend to buy every single talented prospect from other clubs in Germany. By doing so, they are not just strengthening their squad, but making their main domestic competitors significantly weaker.
As for PSG, they have built star-studded teams in the last ten years, all thanks to the Arabian money. The likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani spent some of their best years in the French capital. At the moment, Paris Saint-Germain have arguably the best-attacking trident in the history of the game, featuring Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe. However, none of these stars has managed to bring the maiden Champions League trophy to the French capital. Could it be the lack of proper motivation, the lack of genuinely competitive games in the Ligue 1 season, or the combination of both? Or could it be that money can’t buy you the most important trophies in football?
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