Los 40 USA
Sign in to commentAPP
spainSPAINchileCHILEcolombiaCOLOMBIAusaUSAmexicoMEXICOlatin usaLATIN USAamericaAMERICA
Opinion
Alfredo RelañoThe standing of LaLiga apparent in the Champions League draw

The standing of LaLiga apparent in the Champions League draw

It appears that putting down LaLiga is somewhat in vogue these days given Messi's recent departure (as it was when Cristiano left) so I was encouraged to see the composition of the 32 participants in the Istanbul UEFA Champions League draw. Only Spain has five participating sides in this year's competition with two in the top pot with Atleti as league winners being joined by last year's Europa League champions Villarreal with Real Madrid, Barça and Sevilla making up the other LaLiga sides in the draw.

This picture shows the complete draw for the UEFA Champions League football tournament in Istanbul on August 26, 2021. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP)
Full screen
This picture shows the complete draw for the UEFA Champions League football tournament in Istanbul on August 26, 2021. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP)OZAN KOSEAFP

Global TV rights

In the overall UEFA club ranking, LaLiga has been overtaken by the English Premier League but is still ahead of Serie A, the Bundesliga and both Portuguese and French leagues (I'm not surprised that Mbappé is looking for a Ligue 1 exit). The English league dominates globally with better television deals which constitute a higher global audience with LaLiga still picking up the pieces from the problems caused by a former government as fans in places like South East Asia lap up English football via pay-per-view platforms. This has lead to the commonly known 'big six' (Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham and both Manchester sides) to enjoy a wealth of riches that  see them in a stronger position in the world of football.

TOPSHOT - France's forward Kylian Mbappe arrives at the French national football team training base in Clairefontaine en Yvelines on November 11, 2019, as part of the team's preparation for the upcoming qualification Euro-2020 football matches against Mol
Full screen
TOPSHOT - France's forward Kylian Mbappe arrives at the French national football team training base in Clairefontaine en Yvelines on November 11, 2019, as part of the team's preparation for the upcoming qualification Euro-2020 football matches against MolFRANCK FIFEAFP

Local talent

Spanish football has gone from enjoying both Cristiano and Messi at the peak of their powers as both domestic giants, Barcelona and Real Madrid dominated in the Champions League with Spain also winning the World Cup back in 2010. This was a perfect storm and may never be repeated. I won't lie when I say that Mbappé'a arrival will be a great boost for the league and we've already seen a great start from Memphis Depay at Barcelona and both Cholo and Lopetegui are two of the finest coaches in the game. Unai Emery's Villarreal will also be a handful for sides domestically and in Europe and despite not having the same wealth as the Premier, LaLiga has some of the finest talented individuals in the game.