This is pretty much what everyone is talking about - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/31842700 - so obviously we couldn't help weighing in with our three or four cents...
In the last five years, the Bundesliga has produced 40% of UCL finalists.
Well, we obviously need to start doing whatever they're doing, and what are they doing? Well, as you'll no doubt have heard, after sucking giant balls at Euro 2000, they went back to the drawing board, investing huge sums in youth. The consequence? Well, you tell me. 40% of finalists is the strongest showing from any single nation. And that stat isn't a fabrication. Look, you've got -
Bayern Munich (2010) - lost to Inter Milan
Bayern Munich (2012) - lost to Chelsea
Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund (2013) - Bayern won 2-1
Spain has provided 30% of finalists in that time -
Barcelona (2011) - beat Manchester United
Real Madrid and Atletico (2014) - Real won 4-1 AET
How can we not look on enviously at that success??
The "Bundesliga Route"
We have two details here - the 40% stat, and the investments in youth which have apparently yielded it. Although, what have they actually yielded? Is the Bundesliga route - a) investment in youth? or b) creating a system that gives a distinct advantage to one superclub? Indeed, for all that enviable "investment in youth" did Leverkusen or Schalke ever for a second enter your mind as potential winners? Almost certainly not. Indeed, please go ahead and name their starting XIs. What Germany has produced, for all the investment in youth you can bang on about, is Bayern Munchen. Presently they sit atop the Bundesliga with an 11 point lead. In February alone they had 8 and 6-nil domestic victories. Last season's margin of victory in the title race was a meagre 19 points (over 34 games) and they only failed to win 5 times.
"Sluggishness"
How come, asked the Sky pundits, Man City, Arsenal and Chelsea looked so sluggish compared to their rivals? Well, maybe it's a coincidence. Or, perhaps it's down to playing regularly competitive fixtures. Chelsea, you see, have to work to overcome their opponents in the EPL. When the EPL doles out it's masses of TV revenues, it doles them out evenly. In Spain, in Germany, all the cash stays at the top. If the smaller clubs want a piece, they have to produce a player that Bayern, Real, or Barca think is worth stealing. When a rival appears (think Borussia Dortmund three/four years ago) they are quickly gutted and left to slide down the table. Is this the laudable "Bundesliga Route" we're supposed to be envious of?
Bayern have knocked English teams out of the Champions League five times since 2009
BAYERN have done this. Have Schalke? No. Have Leverkusen? Er...nope. How are those two doing in this seasons competition? Oh, they're out. What about Dort...them too, huh? How interesting. One side (Bayern) might be going strong, but the rest are Tottenham-equivalent also-rans (on a good day). What about Spain then? They've got Atletico now! But, doesn't anyone feel Atletico sort of resemble Dortmund a bit? One great season where they burst through and became contenders, followed by gradual slipping away.
The Gutting
Chelsea have already come in and stolen everyone. But, how can they do that? I mean, after all, Chelsea were knocked out by La Liga Champions Atletico last season! Unfortunately, Chelsea have the sort of money that moves an Atletico Madrid player from a Bentley into a private jet. Can they just waltz in and poach Real Madrid players at will? No. Because Real Madrid is a team that pays over £800,000 a week to two individuals. But what about Spanish involvement in this years competition? Well, Atleti, Barca and Real all soldier on. And their other team? Oh, you mean Atletic Bilbao! Yeah, you'd be forgiven for forgetting they were ever even in it (incidentally, as of the conclusion of the group stage, and despite being placed in the weakest group, they're totally not in it).
What Are We Really Saying?
There are four really top top clubs in Europe at the moment - Bayern, Real, Barca, and sort-of (hanging on the edge) PSG. Sure, it's a disgrace for Arsenal to lose to Monaco. But the others are big, tough teams who get to basically play training fixtures at a domestic level as they trot out and smash 8 past some poorly-paid bunch of future Charlton reserves. Is this the league we really want? Is this honestly what we're actually envious of?
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