5 reasons why EPL is better than La Liga

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 03:  Antonio Conte, Manager of Chelsea and Josep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City greet prior to the Premier League match between Manchester City and Chelsea at Etihad Stadium on December 3, 2016 in Manchester, England.  (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
With the step up in class of managers, naturally numerous tightly contested tactical encounters will follow

In May 2016, La Liga decided to impose fines on clubs if empty seats appeared on television while games were being broadcast. Sections of grounds which appear prominently on television, according to the new stipulations, must be fully populated by fans.

The move is an evident attempt to improve the viewing experience for La Liga games – to keep La Liga afloat in a market that is increasingly being captured by the Premier League.

A few months earlier, the Spanish league had also announced a new television deal modelled on Premier League's equal distribution model. While previously Real Madrid and Barcelona had negotiated their own lucrative deals, now the television revenue will be pooled and shared collectively.

It is clear La Liga has ceded defeat to EPL in terms of marketability – and is now dedicated in an effort to learn from it. But why is the Premier League so much more popular than La Liga across the world? Why does it generate revenues that eclipse those of other top European Leagues?

Here we take a look at 5 reasons why EPL is better than La Liga.


#1 The managers

Although the Spanish giants and Bayern Munich have had the lion's share of the best players in the world in recent years, the Premier League has quietly collected an enviable array of managerial talents. Let alone the top seven (Conte, Guardiola, Wenger, Pochettino, Mourinho, Klopp, Koeman), even the likes of Hull and Swansea boast very promising upcoming managers in Marcos Silva and Paul Clement.

With the step up in class of managers, naturally numerous tightly contested tactical encounters will follow – drawing the attention of the media from around the world. Even relegation-threatened Sunderland and Crystal Palace are led by Moyes and Allardyce respectively – former managers of Manchester United and the England national team.

It all adds up to provide spice to each contest as a direct faceoff of wits, and boy, do the fans love it.

#2 The style of play

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 26: Ben Davies of Tottenham Hotspur tangles with Peter Crouch and Joe Allen of Stoke City during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Stoke City at White Hart Lane on February 26, 2017 in London, England.  (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
A 0-0 result in the Merseyside derby or the North London derby has become just as likely as a 3-3 draw

Many of the attributes that have been a curse to the England national team over the years have proved a boon for the marketability of the Premier League – the lacklustre quality of defending, the fast-paced nature of the game and the lack of time available on the ball.

English teams struggle in Europe due to these reasons, leading to meek surrender against teams like Barcelona which boast superior technical quality.

However, it also means that most high-profile encounters in Premier League are fast-paced, open-ended games. A 0-0 result in the Merseyside derby or the North London derby has become just as likely as a 3-3 draw. At the end of the day, spectators love goals – and the Premier League provides them aplenty.

#3 The crowds, the passion

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 13:  Crowds wait for the arrival of the Liverpool Team coach prior to the Barclays Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield on April 13, 2014 in Liverpool, England.  (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
It would be great for the PL if the club owners realise no amount of money can buy passion

Even with the waning passion in the stands due to exorbitant ticket prices, England still boasts some of the highest attendance figures in Europe. Venues like Anfield, Old Trafford and lately even the King Power Stadium have the capacity to daunt the opposition teams before even a ball is kicked.

The very soul of football is the passion of fans – there is something eerily disconcerting about watching a football match being played in an empty stadium. The insignificant extra revenue generated from matchday pricings has become irrelevant amidst the figures being thrown around.

It would be great for the PL if the club owners realise no amount of money can buy passion.

#4 The unpredictability

LEICESTER, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 27:  Jamie Vardy of Leicester City celebrates after scoring his second and his sides third goal during the Premier League match between Leicester City and Liverpool at The King Power Stadium on February 27, 2017 in Leicester, England.  (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Around Europe, the status quo is being re-established; while the Premier League doesn't even have one to start with

Liverpool perfectly encapsulate the topsy-turvy nature of the Premier League. To have a better record against the top six teams in the league than the bottom six is a statistic probably unheard of across the rest of the top leagues in Europe. Teams like Everton and Southampton also seem to roll up a sleeve and find something extra when the big boys visit their stadiums.

No Premier League contest is a foregone conclusion – teams like Leicester and Wigan can go on winning streaks, while a giant like Liverpool can go more than a month without winning. No one really bats an eye anymore at such results.

Leicester winning the title may be a one-off incident – but how many leagues around Europe are capable of pulling off such an event even once? Leipzig have given way to Bayern in the Bundesliga after a promising start, and PSG is also back on track after a stuttering beginning to the season.

Around Europe, the status quo is being re-established; while the Premier League doesn't even have one to start with.

With the inflow of TV money, every single Premier League club has attained financial muscle to outbid solid European/ midtable clubs from other countries. Stoke City's signing of Shaqiri was but just one example of relatively modest PL clubs outbidding clubs with European ambitions.

Leicester’s signing of Slimani, Everton’s signing of Lukaku, Sunderland’s signing of Defoe – all serve to show how far the Premier League has come.

#5 Better coverage / packaging

Shows like Match of the Day from BBC and Monday Night Football from Sky Sports have sent ratings through the roof

When the team you support wins a football match, there is no cosier feeling in the world than lying back on the couch and listening to the pundits rave about your team’s exploits. Insightful analysis and engaging commentary go a long way towards making football a complete viewing experience.

Premier League has gained ground on several rivals with this very factor – it is delivered in a package that keeps fans asking for more. Shows like Match of the Day from BBC and Monday Night Football from Sky Sports have sent ratings through the roof.

Premier League is broadcasted in more than 200 territories around the world – and the revenue thus generated, in turn, enables the coverage and packaging to be enhanced even further.

Also Read: 5 reasons why La Liga is better than the Premier League

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Edited by Staff Editor