With Chelsea’s win in Azerbaijan over their rivals Arsenal all set and done, the attention turns to Europe’s elite cup competition- the Champions League. And like the Europa League final, this final had two English teams battling it out as well- with Liverpool getting their hands on the giant trophy with a 2-0 win.
This is the first time ever that all four finalists in the two European competitions have been English. And this follows an interesting pattern of the increasing success of English clubs on the European scene. This begs the question- is it the insane money that PL clubs get that is behind this success?
The domination of the Premier League in financial terms over the other leagues in Europe is well documented. In fact, the worst club in the league relegated Huddersfield, earned more than the 4th placed club in the La Liga, and more than everyone except Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.
Do numbers reveal the real power on the field in Champions League Final?
However, looking at specific clubs and not leagues as a whole provides a better picture. Again, using the Deloitte data, the team that performed the best financially the last fiscal year was Real Madrid. Barcelona and UNited are among the top five. The Champions League finalists, Liverpool and Tottenham, are seventh and tenth on the list.
The top 6 clubs that appear on this league didn’t make to either the Champions League or the Europa League final. So, it seems that money is not all that matters here.
Nevertheless, it is clear that the competitive ecosystem that buds from a highly lucrative, and more importantly, fair and equitable financial league that the Premier League has its benefits. The way that the clubs spend their revenues matters as well.
Tottenham did not spend anything in the 18-19 window, spending €123.4m in the summer of 17-18, with CL semi-final hattrick hero Lucas Moura being one of them.
Liverpool amongst the highest spenders
Liverpool, on the other hand, were amongst the highest spenders in the 2018-19 window, with an outlay of almost €185m on players like Alisson and Naby Keita.
Of course, beyond these buys, it is the managers that deserve the credit. The two CL finalists are managed by two of the most coveted managers in the globe. So while money is important for European success, other aspects must be taken into consideration as well.