Vote totals:
Yes:
50%
No:
50%
Neutral:
0%
DEBATE: WINNING THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE IS BETTER THAN WINNING THE PREMIER LEAGUE
WINNING THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE IS BETTER THAN WINNING THE PREMIER LEAGUE
Being the best in Europe beats being the best in England
The UEFA Champions League comprises of the league champions of all UEFA member associations, as well as those clubs finishing from second to fourth place in the strongest leagues. This means that the competition includes the very best teams from across the whole of Europe, and also the top four clubs from the Premier League. By winning the Champions League you have proven to be better than not only your fellow domestic teams but also the other European greats. The title of Champions of Europe is therefore highly superior to the title of Champions of England.
If an English team were crowned European Champions it does not necessarily mean that they are the best team in England. For that to be the case they would surely have to win the Premier League as well. In 2005 we saw Liverpool lift the cup, yet they only managed to finish 5th in the Premiership. Being UEFA Champions only implies that a team has performed with great success in that one particular competition.
WINNING THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE IS BETTER THAN WINNING THE PREMIER LEAGUE
European champions are remembered far more than their domestic counterparts
Winning the Premier League is a massive achievement for any club, but when we compare these triumphs to an epic victory in the Champions League Final it becomes quite apparent that Premier League titles are forgotten much more readily. This rift is also evident when we look at the widely known clubs in Europe. Teams like AC Milan and Ajax have not shot to great prominence as a result of their performances in their respective domestic leagues, but as a result of European glory.
Many Champions League winners tend to be consistently coming in the top few positions in their domestic leagues. Only the top four teams from the Premier League can enter the Champions League so if any of those were to win it is reasonable to assume that they would finish very highly, if not top, in the Premier League. Consequently teams are more likely to be remembered for their overall success as a combination of many different tournaments.
WINNING THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE IS BETTER THAN WINNING THE PREMIER LEAGUE
The Champions League is financially more rewarding
From a purely financial perspective we can compare the breakdowns in revenue earned from successfully winning each competition:
By winning the Premier League a club would net £9.7m in prize money. The club would have also received £8.9m for being in the league, £340,000 or £250,000 for each live Sky game of which there are 38 (dependent on timing and whether pay-per-view game) and overseas TV, sponsorship and licensing money equating to around £4.02m. So in total the Premier League champions would gain in the region of £34m.
Any team successfully getting through the group stages and knockout matches to reach the Champions League final and then go on to win the competition would have earned a colossal prize fund of 40m Euros including television revenues. If gate receipts and sponsorship are incorporated then that figure rises to approximately 100m Euros or £78m. This amount is far greater than that of the Premier League. We must also bear in mind that a win in Europe may have knock on effects and bring in money indirectly through tourism or merchandise sales.
Although it would be impossible to argue against the statistics there are other factors to take into consideration. Since the new rule changes, winning the Champions League does not automatically guarantee you a place in the next tournament. A top four place in the Premier League does however. In the long term teams wish to be competing in the tournament every year in order to reap the rewards of playing in it. They must therefore ensure that they are focussing on performing well in the Premier League.
WINNING THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE IS BETTER THAN WINNING THE PREMIER LEAGUE
The top club managers have huge desire to win the Champions League
The top English team managers and players all want to win the Champions League. They will often view it as the crowning glory to their club career, the highest accolade that their club can win. Sir Alex Ferguson has already won the European Cup with Manchester United in 1999 but has been on record saying that for him to truly earn his place among the greats he would need to win it for a second time. Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger is desperate to win the Champions League. He has won every other cup with his team, the Premiership title, the FA Cup and the Community Shield, but it is this one title that still eludes him. When Liverpool won in 2005 Steven Gerrard described the occasion as the “best day of his career”. It is truly a huge aspiration for all players and managers.
Managers and players alike also have ambitions to win the Premier League title, and these ambitions may even be more prevalent. Both Arsene Wenger and Steven Gerrard have said that they both consider the Premiership title as more important than any cup competition. The whole objective of teams playing in a league system is to ultimately be top of that league and that is what clubs aim for.
WINNING THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE IS BETTER THAN WINNING THE PREMIER LEAGUE
The Premiership is the most popular and successful football league in the world
The Champions League has a higher prominence within Europe, as foreign Premier League fans tend to be concentrated in the other continents especially Asia. Therefore within Europe the Champions League can be regarded as the most popular and prestigious trophy.
Since the inaugural season of 1992 the English Premier league has grown into the global success story that it is today. It is easily the most popular soccer league in the world, attracting fans from every country. It is no wonder that it is promoted as the “Greatest Show on Earth” when it is followed by over half a billion people in 202 countries. It has attracted many of the world’s most talented players and consistently produces top-class teams. This is extremely evident by the fact that English teams made up three of the last four places in this year’s UEFA Champions League. Not only this, but the Premiership is also hugely successful financially. In the 2005-06 season the Premiership generated revenues of over £1.4billion, a figure that is 40% higher than its nearest rival, the Italian Serie A. Only three major sports leagues can better this, namely America’s NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball. As such, teams have a large incentive to win such a popular title.
WINNING THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE IS BETTER THAN WINNING THE PREMIER LEAGUE
Winning the Champions League relies more on luck than the Premier League
Firstly, to even get into the group stages of the Champions League a team must have displayed a lot of skill to do well in the domestic league. Secondly, there is also a degree of luck with Premiership games. Referee decisions may favour a particular team or a team may face an unlucky injury bout.
To win the Premier League a team must display a large amount of skill and perform to a consistently high standard throughout the entire course of the season. By its very nature of being a knockout tournament, the Champions League has a greater element of luck involved. A draw decides which teams will have to be faced in the group stages and later on in the later rounds. Knockout rounds may often have to be decided by penalties, a method which is far less representative of a team’s ability than normal play. The draw may mean that one particular team may get a lucky run of easier opponents through to the final. Hence the overall winners may not actually be the best team in Europe.
WINNING THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE IS BETTER THAN WINNING THE PREMIER LEAGUE
Fans do not have the pleasure of "getting one over" on their domestic rivals
This year’s Champions League provides a big example of why this point holds little credibility. The semi-finals comprised of three English teams and we are now in the position where the final is between Manchester United and Chelsea; two huge English rivals. The European games provide fans with just as much excitement and rivalry. Also, in our ever increasingly cosmopolitan society we now have fans of all European teams living within England. Therefore supporters of all teams have the ability to integrate anyway.
Beating teams in Europe just isn’t the same as beating a team in the Premiership. The domestic league is full of derbies between local teams, each match providing a great supporting occasion for the fans. Fans get more satisfaction out of beating a fellow English rival, as they have more of an opportunity to revel in their opposing fans’ misfortune. Supporters enjoy the friendly banter between opposing fans, and can experience this with domestic league wins.
What do Manchester United fans think? This year they have won both so it would be good to know which they are most proud of winning.