Blatter: La Liga is Strongest Options

[Avon]

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SPORT/football...x.html?hpt=Sbin

(CNN) -- FIFA president Sepp Blatter believes Spain's La Liga is the best football league in the world, and claims that England's top division can learn from it.

In an exclusive interview with CNN's World Sport, Blatter pointed to the eight Spain-based players in the 2010 FIFA World XI and Spain's World Cup success as justification.

"(Looking at the World XI) it must be the strongest league in the world," he said.

"And when you see the starting XI of the Spanish national team (who won the World Cup), all of them play their football in Spain. The Spanish league also has the highest number of local players."

Why were EPL players snubbed in all-star team?
When you consider not one player made the best XI of the world, maybe they should think about whether something can be adapted
--Sepp Blatter on EPL
RELATED TOPICS

* Football
* FIFA
* Spanish League
* Lionel Messi

Blatter told World Sport's Pedro Pinto the lack of England-based players in the FIFA World XI undermined the quality of the country's Premier League.

"The Premier League is the best-marketed league in the world," he said. "It's a good league, with good players, but when you consider not one player made the best XI of the world, maybe they should think about whether something can be adapted."

The FIFA World XI featured six players from Barcelona and two from Real Madrid, with the other three from Italian Serie A champions Inter Milan.

Among their number was the 2010 Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi, the 23-year-old midfielder who beat his Barcelona teammates Xavi and Andres Iniesta to be named the world's best player for the second year in a row.

"Leo Messi is what I identify as a wonderful football player and a good boy. He is really humble. It's not a game he's playing, he's not an actor," Blatter said.

Have your say on Blatter's decisions

Blatter said Messi needed to win a World Cup before he could be compared to fellow Argentine Diego Maradona, captain of the 1986 champion side.

"When I compare Messi to Maradona, both are excellent, talented players. They could not be more talented. But the difference is their personal educational characteristics," Blatter said.

"One is still in football, modest and not trying to get into the extravaganza. The other did it."

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Blatter is incorrect in his reasoning

first of all you cannot judge the strength of a league by a National Team Tournament in one year without extrapolating all the variables of the sourrounding

tournaments, 2006-2008-2012....

Secondarily you cannot determine the strength of a particular league by it's National Side. Italy winning in 1982 a prime example, they were ranked 6th in terms

at the time.

He also ignores the litmus test which determines which European Nation has the strongest clubsides,

http://www.xs4all.nl/~kassiesa/bert/uefa/d.../ccoef2011.html

this is determined by wins losses and draws of each nation regardless of Silverware.

judging by this, England is well and securely in the lead 2005-2010

Spain were the strongest league from 1998-2004

Italy 1988-1997

----

To determine the most successful league, you would need to classify the amount of silverware won in a given period

--

that is all

[scottrh18]

This is obviously in response to the Spanish media portraying him as a hater of everything Spanish.

[Nicksaints]

I'm always very defensive of the EPL, but standards have definitely dropped, as has the quality of transfers. La Liga is strong and now seems to be where the top level pro's would prefer to go. Other than Man City of course (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)
Wont be long until you can forget your stats Avon

[JuveJay]

Only 2 teams fall into that category I would say.

[Juan]

La Liga is actually much closer to losing second spot to the Bundesliga, rather than regaining the top spot in the ranking.

[Avon]

La Liga is actually much closer to losing second spot to the Bundesliga, rather than regaining the top spot in the ranking.

I think La Liga staying at no.2 and England swapping with Germany might be more likely

[Avon]

the new rules should undercut La Liga heavily and due to it's financial state it and La Liga will be 4th or 5th by the end of decade

[magix]

Right now only 4 leagues are compliant with UEFA' new rules: Austria, Belgium, Germany and Sweden. Other than the German league I can't see any of those others becoming a top league in Europe. So who would take over from the PL and Liga?

[Furia Roja]

La Liga is actually much closer to losing second spot to the Bundesliga, rather than regaining the top spot in the ranking.

Don't think so, we actually do better in both competitions ( CL & EL) than the Bundesliga

[magix]

Don't think so, we actually do better in both competitions ( CL & EL) than the Bundesliga

But financially the Bundesliga is much healthier...

[magix]

Don't think so, we actually do better in both competitions ( CL & EL) than the Bundesliga

But financially the Bundesliga is much healthier...

[JuveJay]

Belgium is where it's at (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon_mrgreen.gif)

[magix]

Belgium is where it's at (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon_mrgreen.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) Belgium

Although being fair to them, their football is making a revival. Euro2012 is a little bit too early for them but they have some very good youngsters, Lukaku, De Bruyne, Hazard a couple of years from now they'll be up there with the best

[Juan]

Don't think so, we actually do better in both competitions ( CL & EL) than the Bundesliga

In the current 5-year ranking, the Liga has a clear lead:

Spain 76.329
Germany 66.936

The problem is when 2006/07 expires, we are left with:

Germany 57.436
Spain 57.329


Liga clubs have to step it up this season to stay in front.

[Furia Roja]

In the current 5-year ranking, the Liga has a clear lead:

Spain 76.329
Germany 66.936

The problem is when 2006/07 expires, we are left with:

Germany 57.436
Spain 57.329
Liga clubs have to step it up this season to stay in front.

We've been winning more European trophies than Serie A and EPL combined in this new century, it's hard for me to believe that the Bundesliga would take our second place with only one trophy in this new century (What I've been questioning is why we're second when we are the ones winning more trophies recently lol)

[JuveJay]

New co-efficient rules are bullshit.

[CK]

Depends on what you want from a league. Spain can claim to have the two best clubs in the world, Germany can claim to have the best middle to lower table sides.

I enjoy both, so have my cake and eat it too.

[Furia Roja]

Depends on what you want from a league. Spain can claim to have the two best clubs in the world, Germany can claim to have the best middle to lower table sides.

I enjoy both, so have my cake and eat it too.

You can't really claim that Germany have better middle table teams than Spain. Just because Real Madrid and Barcelona are dominating the league, it doesn't really mean the other teams aren't that good. Without going back that long Sevilla practically eliminated the team that is leading the Budesliga in the Europa League this season. Even without Barcelona and Real Madrid silverware in recent years, we still have better results and more trophies than Germany in this new century. It's hard for me to believe that they are really that close to us. Their clubs haven't done not even half of what we have done in recent years to be that close

[M. Piedlourde]

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SPORT/football...x.html?hpt=Sbin
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Blatter is incorrect in his reasoning

first of all you cannot judge the strength of a league by a National Team Tournament in one year without extrapolating all the variables of the sourrounding

tournaments, 2006-2008-2012....

Secondarily you cannot determine the strength of a particular league by it's National Side. Italy winning in 1982 a prime example, they were ranked 6th in terms

at the time.

He also ignores the litmus test which determines which European Nation has the strongest clubsides,

http://www.xs4all.nl/~kassiesa/bert/uefa/d.../ccoef2011.html

this is determined by wins losses and draws of each nation regardless of Silverware.

judging by this, England is well and securely in the lead 2005-2010

Spain were the strongest league from 1998-2004

Italy 1988-1997

----

To determine the most successful league, you would need to classify the amount of silverware won in a given period

--

that is all

I don't get that litmus test. I can't understand how the Turkish league is weaker than the Israel league, and how both are behind Belarus. Belarus? For serious? I can for once understand Blatter.

[Juan]

You can't really claim that Germany have better middle table teams than Spain. Just because Real Madrid and Barcelona are dominating the league, it doesn't really mean the other teams aren't that good. Without going back that long Sevilla practically eliminated the team that is leading the Budesliga in the Europa League this season. Even without Barcelona and Real Madrid silverware in recent years, we still have better results and more trophies than Germany in this new century. It's hard for me to believe that they are really that close to us. Their clubs haven't done not even half of what we have done in recent years to be that close

Of course, trophies are very important, but the coefficient does show that the Bundesliga clubs are quite consistent most of the time, even if most of them are no threat to win European trophies.

The draw between Valencia and Schalke just underlines this, Germany are still leading us for this year's coefficient as well as the five-year coefficient leading up to 2012.