More Money Makes Premier League Stronger:

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore:

"We have already had hugely memorable games. We've had massive upsets such as Burnley beating Manchester United. We've had a Manchester derby that Sir Alex Ferguson, who goes back quite a while, says was the best that he can recall.

"We are getting matches that are captivating the imagination with their quality, but yet retaining their competitive edge. It is more competitive at the top, and more competitive from seventh or eight place all the way down to 20th. There is no real pattern, no real certainty virtually all the time, every weekend.

"I have always said that the Premier League was competitive, few believed me, and it has been a criticism that the more money the worse it will get. That simply is not true. In fact the reverse has been the case.

"We have never received more from our international TV rights, the sales are phenomenal, as well as our domestic rights. The rights are more valuable around the world than any other country, and I believe that is because our league is viewed around the world as the most competitive.

“There might be a tiny island off the South Pacific somewhere where the Premier League doesn't reach, but I've not heard of it! ”

"If we sell to more countries and up the income for the clubs, some say it is not healthy, however look at it this way: We now sell to 211 countries. There might be a tiny island off the South Pacific somewhere where the Premier League doesn't reach, but I've not heard of it!

"We are in the middle of our latest rounds of negotiations to renew our overseas TV rights, and all the countries will be taking up their options, the Premier League is as popular than ever, perhaps even more so if that is possible." (Source)

Ronaldo Hits Out At Premiership Again And Praises Spanish Football:

Ronaldo said this after his presentation to the fans of Real Madrid at the Bernabeau:

"I think La Liga is going to have more quality because of the players that are arriving," he said.

"All the players have a lot of quality and the referees protect the players."

"I expect a different league. I have played six years in the Premier League, it is very different. It is faster and players are strong but here the small teams and the medium teams try and play football," he stated. (Source)

Ronaldo Happy To Be Moving From Physcial English Premiership?:

"Football in England is different, it is more physical," he told Sky Sports News while on holiday.

"No matter how good you are it takes time to adapt to any type of football. I just hope I can get used to it as quickly as possible." (Source)

Italian League In Crisis:

“English football is better,” said Bruno Longhi, a prominent television commentator for Serie A matches. “They have taken care of their violence. In Italy, it still creates problems. People don’t want to go to the stadium with children. In Spain, they play with style. In Italy, the coach is only compelled to play to win. If you don’t win, you are dead, with the press and the fans.” (Source)

Lippi: Italian League May Have Lost Ground To The English Premier But Italian Football Still Strong:

"The big teams in England, Italy and Spain have dozens of foreigners and they cannot be considered as representative of English, Italian or Spanish football.

"I am totally satisfied with Italian football, from the Under-18s through the Under-21s to the national team.

"This is the real expression of Italian football, not what happens at club level." (Source)

Wenger Defends Arsenal's High Foreign Content:

"The French manager had come in for criticism over his transfer policy, usually buying talented but developing talent and rarely purchasing English players. Wenger rejected nationalistic calls for more English players, saying the Premier League had outgrown that approach.

"If the Premier League is the best league in the world, it means the players of the world play in England. So it would be a coincidence that all the best players in the world would be born in England," Wenger said. (Source)

Xabi Thinks La Liga is Better than Prem

''There's not much between the two leagues but I think our league is stronger - it is better technically and there is more tactical order...Maybe the Premier League wins in terms of intensity and rhythm...And it's true that there are three English teams in the semi-finals, but we are not here by coincidence.'' (Source)

Could Taxes and the Pound Threaten the Best League in the World?

These days most people think that the Premier League is the Best League in the World. However, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes that proposed changes to the English taxation system will soon change the league's status:

"Don't worry, that time will soon be over because with the new taxation system and with the collapse of sterling... the domination of the Premier League will end....The pound was at 1.45 or 1.60 (euros) at one stage...from one day to the next it will be a financial problem for all the English clubs.'' (Source)

Martin Samuel: "And that is why it is the best league in the world"

"And that is why it is the best league in the world."

"Arsenal won the game, then lost it, then won it again, then let it slip, won it a final time and blew it in injury-time. Every single goal changed the status of the match, which is a remarkable sequence of action."

"Liverpool are level on points with Manchester United, but the champions have two games in hand, against Portsmouth tonight and next month, at Wigan Athletic. It may not go to the wire after all, and some will look at another Old Trafford title and sneer. Yet, across Europe, the big leagues are invariably won by the big teams, and the Premier League has been no exception since the isolated triumph of Blackburn Rovers. How a team gets there is what counts these days, and the journey is more thrilling in this country than anywhere. In the last eight days we have seen two matches, epic in their excitement and ambition. This is the league that the politicians and pontificators wish to change. Take a good look, missus; there will never be another."

Maradonna says La Liga is the Best League in the World

"The league in Spain is better than the Serie A. In fact, it is better than any other league in the world as there is a lot of competition."

> Info Source

Mourinho laughs at quality of English league

Inter manager Jose Mourinho gave a mouth-watering reply to the question of which league is better - The Premiership or Serie A:

"All you need to do...is to watch a few Premier League games to know the answer to that question is easy."

This is what we have said all along. Don't get caught up in all of the big players and managers heading off to England for big bucks and focus on the quality of the football.

Though - soon enough there won't be any English players and managers left in the league and that might tip the balance of quality in favour of The Premiership.

For us Serie A simply has the most sophisticated brand of football - played even by its bottom-dwelling teams and marginal players.

Info Source

Spain is superior

David Silva will not be leaving Valencia for a club in the Premiership. He prefers the Spanish league:

"I have no desire to play in England. My club know my decision and it will not change...If I leave Valencia, my dream will be to go to Barcelona. I know there is interest from some big clubs in England, but I do not just want to move for the money...England is one of the best leagues in the world, but I think that Spain is superior."

A wise position by Silva. Too many Spanish players go off to England and in the end want to go back. Let's face it - while the Premiership continues to buy all of the best players and managers - the best football is still either in Spain or Italy.

And look at this past summer - Arsenal lost two players and neither chose to stay in the league: Flamini went to Serie A and Hleb to La Liga. Hleb was a known hater of English football. And let's not even get into the whole Ronaldo sage here - except to point out that he too wanted to go to La Liga. People - like Sir Alex - said that his head was twisted by money - but I think the allure was simply a football life in Madrid, wearing the all-white.

Info Source / Image Source

Serie A is fourth best?

In admitting that his club could not compete with Manchester City for the signature of fallen Brazil star Ronaldinho, AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani was also in effect admitting that England's Premiership was the most powerful in the world:

'I cannot ignore that Italian football is now in fourth position in Europe behind England, Spain and Germany...We simply cannot compete with certain figures anymore."

The question for me is whether or not the Premiership is the "best" league in the world. What does best mean? Does it mean that the league continues to aggregate the best players in the world or that also the league's football is the best to be seen?

And how do we then define what is the best football?

Personally, I have trouble with the hurly burly of the English league and prefer the more sophisticated and thoughtful style of Serie A. But that's just me.


Info Source

The Croatians are coming

Though they were knocked out of Euro 2008 in surprising fashion by Turkey, Croatians - with collective and individual performances - made a case for themselves as being among the most skillfull players in the world.

As a result - Nico Krancjar thinks - many Croatian players will start to see themselves pursued by Premier League teams:

"At the minute the Premier League is the best league in the world and it is a big goal for us to show what we can do and have a voice for Croatian players and help bring even more Croatian players to English football. Like I said they can all come."

Info Source

Clichy loves Arsenal and the Premiership

'It's him who brought me here; it's him who built this young team. It's a superb plan to throw yourself into the future with this group here. I never hesitated, not at all. Arsenal is one of the great clubs in Europe...For youngsters it's ideal, the coach gets our career's going, gives us confidence. We're playing in a passionate championship, the best in the world. So there's everything together.'

Info Source / Image Source

Gattuso wants to play in The Best League in the World

"I would like to have the possibility to play in the Premier League...It's a dream I have always had and never hidden. I think I have the characteristics to play in that league."

Info Source / Image Source

Diouf doesn't want to leave The Best League in the World

"My first choice is to stay in England - this is the best league in the world. I've been here four years and I've had a great time.

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Info Source / Image Source

Wenger thinks English Premiership is The Best League in the World

"This season the Premier League is the strongest. I spoke with a 12-year-old boy in Paris recently and when I asked him which club he supported he said Arsenal. That did not happen when I was young...A Norwegian coach told me that a week before the Arsenal-Liverpool Champions League game, the Norway national team had a game. Some two million more people watched the Arsenal match!"

Source >

Croatian Corluka loving life in The Best League in the World

Manchester City's Croatian international Vedran Corluka on life in the Barclay's Premier League:

"This year I've learnt lots from the matches in England and I can learn for next year and I think I will be better next season...I've enjoyed it very much because it was my first season in England and it has been something new for me...I think for a first season it was good and I'm happy that I chose this Club.Now I just want to show everybody that I deserve to be here in England and the best league in the world."

Source >

United and Chelsea will send message to the world

"What this past week has shown is that both United and Chelsea have goals in them, and they have quality all over the pitch. Moscow, on May 21, will surely not deliver a goalless final. And goals are what's needed if sceptics of the English clubs - Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard being one of them - are to to be silenced. The English Premiership is routinely labelled the best league in the world. We know it's the richest and the best packaged. Now Man United and Chelsea have the perfect stage on which to send their message to the world."

Source >

Capello faces paradox of The Best League in the World

"This is the problem that all my predecessors have had. I'm hoping I will be able to understand why and rectify it, because looking at the performance of the English teams in the Champions League, then at the moment the Premier League is the best in the world."

Info Source / Image Source

Two of the best midfielders set to leave The Best League in the World for The Most Beautiful League in the World

If you were one of the best midfielders in the world and offered significantly more money, better weather, better food and better football, what would you do?

Exactly. Go to Italy and Serie A.

It now looks like Arsenal's two beautiful midfielders, Mathieu Flamini and Alexander Hleb will be joining Milan and Inter respectively.


And they won't have to worry about lumbering English centrebacks anymore.



They will be playing in... Campionato Più Bello Del Mondo . And this can only be condsidered as a vote for Serie A also being The Best League in the World.

Source >

The Most Beautiful League in the World

Recent talk has been about the EPL being "The Best League in the World" but Goal.com's Chris Testa puts forth the idea of "The Most Beautiful League in the World" and claims that league is still Serie A. And we can't disagree with him, especially when he says:

"To true fans of the Italian game, not those who are blinded by the media hype and aggressive marketing of EPL and La Liga, but those who truly appreciate not only Milan and Juve but also Chievo, Siena and Atalanta, the Italian Serie A always has been, and certainly still is Campionato Più Bello Del Mondo. "

Does beautiful equate to best? It does for us today. Count this as a vote for Serie A.

Source >

Martin Rogers ranks the best leagues in the world

Martin Rogers ranks the best leagues in the world:

Source > 20.03.2008