Cesc Fàbregas reveals differences between Premier League and La Liga :

Before his team defeated Real Madrid 2-1 on Saturday, FC Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fàbregas spoke to The Guardian about whether he would ever return to the Premier League. He also discussed how the league differs from his current spot in La Liga.

“Arsenal is in my heart and always will be,” Fàbregas told the English outlet.

“I don’t know if I’ll have the opportunity to go back and play there one day, or maybe after football. It’s a club that is always going to be there and will always open its doors to me. The club’s like a family, so even if it wasn’t as a coach, I’m sure they’d give me the chance to play a role.”

The real interesting portion of his talk centered around the differences between the Premier League and La Liga. Fàbregas said leaving for Arsenal allowed him to play more minutes, which accelerated his development as a player, and it helped that Arsenal is “perhaps the team closest to Barcelona” in style of play.

“The English league is more difficult to win, but on an individual level, it is much, much easier to shine in England,” he said. “I always thought English football was the best to watch because there are more goals, more chances, more excitement. But now, I understand why there are more goals and more chances: it’s much more crazy, out of control, everyone attacking, pouring forward.”

The Spanish international with 86 caps would not say that he found the Premier League easier to navigate than La Liga, but he did intimate that Spanish players are generally more technical and smarter on the ball than their counterparts in England.

“It’s a question of space,” he said. “A Spanish-style footballer, like [David] Silva or [Mesut] Özil, if they can find two seconds to think, will see the pass because there’ll be space. … In Spain, reducing space is worked on more. In England, it’s fast, but you can find that space if you are a good player.”

**Positions by club over 10 years :

• EPL 10 Year Data :

• La Liga 10 Year Data :

**

Comments pro- Liga : (2 years ago)

Comment 1:

I have made some analysis since 1992-93 and feel that LA LIGA is a better league overall. Everyone feels that La Liga is a two horse race but so is EPL. There have been 19 seasons since 1992-93 and 4 different teams have won the premier league with MU and Chelsea dominating in the recent years. The other teams have been Arsenal and Blackburn Rovers. Also, 7 different teams have come second and 9 different teams have come third and fourth. Whereas in La Liga there have been 5 different winners, other than FC Barcelona and Real Madrid; Valencia, Deportivo La Coruna and Athletico Madrid have won the league. There have been 7 different runners, 10 different teams coming third and 11 different teams coming fourth.

Coming to the European Scenario:

In the past 19 seasons, there have been 9 semifinalists, 3 runners and 3 winners of the Champions League from the EPL whereas 12 semifinalists, 3 runners and 6 winners from the La Liga. It can clearly be seen that La Liga has been doing better than the EPL in Champions League.

Domination of the league:

EPL Top 4 have been more dominant than the La Liga Top 4 in the last 19 seasons... They have won 28.81 pr cent of the total points whereas their La Liga counter parts have won 27.64 pr cent of the total points. There is a better balance in the La Liga than in the EPL when you consider the points distribution.

Some people say that La Liga has been dominated by the top 2 and the gulf in the points has been enormous. But NO, here again EPL holds the edge. The top two teams have won 15.48 pr cent of the total points whereas in La Liga only 14.93 pr cent of the points has been won by the top two.

Considering the above points, I would say LA LIGA is better than the EPL in terms of competition as well as Champions League performance not to mention the fact that more attractive football is played in the LA LIGA and the two best clubs in the world are in LA LIGA. And considering Barcelona's routing of Santos, there is a big gulf in the quality of football between the continents...

Comment 2:

None of these two leagues are the best in the world. They're both painfully noncompetitive, epitomizing most of what's wrong with modern football: the top sides get all the best players since they can afford high transfer fees and wages, while the rest find it impossible to catch up. Year after year, it's the same faces at the top in both leagues. In La Liga, you can guess the top 2 teams before it even starts, in England you can guess the top 4-6 teams pretty accurately too.

None of the two leagues is the best in the world, but if I had to choose, I'd choose La Liga because (a) Barcelona and Real Madrid are far superior to any Premier League team, (b) at least every place after the top 2 is up for grabs. Villareal were 4th last season and they're facing relegation this season. In England only places 7th and below are up for grabs, you already know who the top 6 teams will be, you just don't know the order. (c) the best players in the world are in Spain. The top players in La Liga are far superior to their Premier League counterparts. For instance, although I disagree with it, many consider Silva the best player in the Premier League and it's very doubtful whether he'd even make Barcelona's lineup, or even Madrid's. He was in Spain just two years ago and was nowhere near the top players in the league. The best players in the world can be found in La Liga, I'm talking about the likes of Messi, Iniesta, Ronaldo and most of Spain's World Champions, not to mention the young Spanish players who have sweeping every trophy at the youth level. (d) Teams play better football, although this is a matter of preference.

Both leagues are pretty noncompetitive and have similar core flaws, but I prefer to watch a more technical brand of football played by the most talented players in the world, therefore I must choose La Liga.

But the best league in Europe at the moment is unquestionably the Bundesliga. It's the only league in Europe that remains competitive. You see new faces in the top 4/6 spots every year and no team in the league is cannon fodder. Bayern are considerably stronger than anything the Premier League has to offer this season but they've dropped a lot more points than the likes of City and United. They arguably have a squad to rival Barca and Madrid (remains to be seen if they will in this year's Champions League) yet cannot dominate at will. Their squad is sensational but they will have to fight a lot if they want the title because every team in the Bundesliga is capable of beating them, there are no cannon fodder sides. Last season they underperformed and couldn't even get near the title (whereas United underperformed as well and still managed to take the league title, for instance).

This happens because revenues are shared much more fairly. The Bundesliga financial model sets an example everyone should follow. The football is great (technical and free-flowing for most part), the tickets are cheap (therefore the stadiums are frequently full), the league is competitive from top to bottom (every team can beat even the top sides) and the clubs are indebted to the core; Bayern are the only European giant who are not in debt, in fact they've been operating at a profit every year.

There's no doubt in my mind that the Bundesliga is the best league in Europe at the moment, mostly for the reasons mentioned. It's the most competitive league around by far.

Comments for EPL:(2 years ago)

Comment 1:

EPL is overall stronger than Liga but this idea that Madrid and Barca destroy teams week in week out is just not true.... If we look at this season in Liga Barca are 2nd having played 16 games winning 11, drawing 4 and losing 1 with 50 goals scored and 8 conceded with 37 points. Now if we look at City they are 1st having played the same amount of games winning 13, drawing 2 and losing 1 scoring 50 goals and conceding 15 goals... I dont really see much of a difference between what Barca and City are doing except that Barca are considered to be one of the best teams off all time!!! I dont get it really. When Barca do what City are doing to teams in the Prem to teams in Liga the teams in Liga are said to be weak. And people need to understand that Barca are by far the best team in the world. Both Madrid and Barca are the top teams in the world. What Barca and Madrid do in Liga they do in the Champs Lg as well. If you also look at the points difference between the 20th team in both leagues and the 5th team in both leagues, there is a 19 point difference in the Prem and a 15pt difference in Liga. If you take away Madrid and Barca and put them in any other league they would do the same thing..

AND this thing that there are like 5 or 6 contenders for the title in the Prem, we all know that is not true... Liverpool Spurs and Arsenal have no chance of winning the title and maybe even Chelsea dont have a chance.... Its only really City. I mean they have played most of there big games away from home and they are still top.

Comment 2:

Based on parity and strength in depth, the answer clearly and unquestionably presents itself as the EPL.

It has been years upon years upon years since any team other than Barcelona or Madrid one La Liga, or, indeed, even finished in the top 2. The fact that it was a forgone conclusion who would be in the hunt for the title this year in Spain pretty much says it all. Moreover, Madrid and Barcelona are allowed to negotiate obscene individual TV deals, earning them an amount of money that shuts out their competition in a manner that is beyond Mancester City-like.

In contrast, the Premier League has five teams who are of absolutely top class, and there is as much doubt over who will win the league as who will qualify for the Champions League. Yes, City are financially dominant. But they have to compete with the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, and an emerging Spurs side. All of these teams (with the possible exception of United, heh) present a stern challenge for the league leaders.

And lastly, while the technical quality of the middle-of-the-table team in Spain might be superior to their English counterparts, it is visible that the Premier Leagues combination of game speed, technical ability, and physicality sets it apart from every other league in the world.

The Premier League has teams that can compete with La Ligas style of play, like City and Arsenal (who beat Barcelona 2-1, in case you needed a reminder), but, save for possibly the two giants, Spain does not. And even Madrid and the Catalans cannot quite matchup with the size of Premier League teams.

Thus, there can only be one clear winner in the debate over the better league, and the FA can sip a celebratory beer every time.

Comment 3 :

Absolutely has to be the Premier League. La Liga boasts the top two teams in the world (IMHO) in giants Barcelona in Real Madrid with arguably the world's two best players, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, respectively. The difference, though, is that everyone knows La Liga is simply a two-horse race. In the EPL, you have six legitimate world-class teams that can go toe to toe with any team in the world: Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham. So while most fans get to watch two El Clasico clashes in La Liga yearly, with so much power at the top half of the table in the EPL, there's going to be noteworthy clashes nearly every weekend in England.

**Mixed opinions:

Comment 1:**

The Premier League is a much more popular league and has players that in my own opinion are slightly more popular than their counterparts in Spain, both of which are due to the powerful English media.

The EPL is much more competitive league than La Liga in terms that any club in the Premier League can earn a result against its counterpart (Wigan drawing with Chelsea over last weekend being a fantastic result of this).

However, La Liga has Barcelona and Real Madrid, the two best clubs in the world with the best players in Messi, Ronaldo, Xavi, Casillas etc.

La Liga has a better brand of football and the players in La Liga are better than the players in the Premier League, due to their environment and their close proximity to the European network that allows for a quick transfer of ideas. The Premier League is isolated from this network and that is a major reason why Premier League players struggle in international competitions.

To answer the question, "Which Is the Worlds Best League: EPL or La Liga?" It has to be La Liga because it has a higher quality of play, better players and its players do better in international competitions than its counterparts in the EPL.

Comment 2:

As far as which league is most competitive, EPL is by far the most. Any week you can have Stoke or Sunderland beat a top squad. Games tend to be closer as well. EPL has much better goalkeeping play than La Liga. Fans tend to be more rowdier as well.

But being of Spanish decent, Im biased towards La Liga. I think La Liga is the most entertaining league in the world. Better offense, better golazos, and more creativity. And as some have already mentioned, the two best teams in the world are in La Liga. Perhaps the future greatest player of all-time, Messi, and perhaps the greatest team in the history of the game, this FC Barcelona under Josep Guardiola, plays in La Liga.

In conclusion, EPL is the most competitive and La Liga is the most entertaining.

Source : A mix from many articles :), the comment are from simple users in a debate by Bleacherrport.com

I picked the most rated comments.

My point :

Things are going fast in Football, the best team of this year can be the joke of tomorrow, we should always do the reality Check everytime, and not just stick to Stable ideas that destroys any debate.

In 2013 : EPL is better than La liga in term of competition. But im waiting for Cl results and direct confontations between La liga and EPL top teams....

Whats your impressions guys :) congratulations if you finished reading all the post :).

You just won't let this die, will you?

I have said that EPL was actually the best, what did you expect more from a Spanish Football fan?
And i found it good to share databases, there is no subliminal message :)

No one expected you to make such a meaningless conclusion. In fact, this comparison between the two leagues has gone extremely far (with you making a huge contribution in it), because which league is better is all based on the individual's personal interests; it is is the kind of matter where facts don't mean anything and will not convince anyone.

I can simply ignore it, yes, but you just keep bringing this topic up. It's meaningless and vexing.

Vexing ?? What is vexing here ?

I was not talking about United if the problem is that, Barças defeat of last year and all the joke comments were not that vexing for me, Arsenal fans are facing vexing comments for 10 years now...

Great analysis tiki_taka. Don't let haters bring you and your work down. But my advice to you is just to let this go after this post because no one's opinion will ever change.

My personal opinion is EPL is the best because of the more prestigious teams and excitement. La Liga has better teams overall but it is a boring league. However with Athletico Madrid now rising it's becoming more exciting.

I skimmed through some but I got the gist tiki_taka. You are probably the most patient forum member, let me tell you.

The bit about styles of play is interesting. The physicality of the BPL is what really attracts me to the league, beside the competition. Take the confederations cup final. Brazil and Spain. Two conflicting styles of play and both teams contain some of the most notable modern-day footballers, but Spain was thrashed. Spain's national team comprises mostly of La Liga players, whereas Brazil's NT boasts many players from different leagues, Spanish league included. This isn't supposed to serve as backing evidence that the BPL is better, but it does show where many Spanish players fall short.

I am in no way biased toward the BPL. I enjoy watching La Liga, but comparing the two leagues TODAY, I can safely say that the BPL boasts more quality. I've watched lower-table matches from both leagues this season and the quality does not compare IMO. I just feel that the tides are moving towards the BPL these days, if not simply away from La Liga, and the fact the only Real Madrid and Barça have been the only ones contending for the spanish title (now Atletico Madrid aswell) has a lot to do with it. Players want to branch out and contend for silverware.

It's a cycle, simply put. The Italian league was once regarded as the best, the Spanish league too. I sincerely feel that for years to come, the English league will enjoy this title because of its seemingly equally dispersed competition. There is more opportunity in England at the moment.

Thanks Tdot, Agreed Iko.
Im used now ;)

Two best teams play in La liga? Fuck off.

From 1976-1985 (ten seasons), the breakdown of European Cup finalists was as follows:

England: 8 (3 teams) (7 wins)
Germany: 5 (3 teams) (2 wins)
Italy: 3 (2 teams) (1 win)
Spain: 1 (0 wins)

Which league was the best?

From 2004-2013 (the LAST ten seasons), the breakdown was as follows:

England: 8 (4 teams) (3 wins)
Spain: 3 (1 team) (3 wins)
Italy: 3 (2 teams) (2 wins)
Germany: 3 (2 teams) (1 win)

Which league was the best?

It's not rocket science, guys. It's really not.

(additional: Interestingly, France have had 1 finalist in each of those decades)

@Lodatz What means those years for you ?

1- Spain : 13 CL , 9 final loss
2- Italy : 12 CL, 14 final loss
3- England : 12 CL, 7 final loss
4- Gemany : 7 CL, 10 final loss
5- Netherlands : 6 CL, 2 final loss

It means that a long, long time ago, Madrid won 5 in a row, and that Italy dominated the late 80s and the 90s.

That was kind of my point, actually. If you want to take into account the entire history of the post-war European football, then be my guest. However, that history is broken up into segments; periods of dominance for various leagues around the continent.

Such as the Spanish/Portuguese dominance of the late 50s and early 60s.

Or the late 60s and mid 70s, where the Dutch and German leagues were clearly the best.

Or the late 70s to mid 80s, where no-one could even come close to the English dominance.

Or the very long reign of the Italian league, for around 15 years up until the turn of the century, at which point Spain dominated for 4 or 5 years.

Or, as most recently, the mid 2000s through to the early 2010s, in which the English league was dominant again.

Who knows what's going to happen over the next 10 years? Nobody knows, and it may be that the German league enjoys a period of dominance, thanks to Bayern's (recent) rise. If so, then teams like Leverkeusen, BVB and Schalke are going to have to prove a lot more than they have thus far, but it could certainly happen. Maybe the production of the canteras in Spain will finally overtake the cash thrown at other leagues, and La Liga clubs can start retaining their prized talents, leading to Spanish prominence. Or, maybe, the sheer amount of money (and therefore talent) in the PL will continue to grow, leading to (once more) 3 or 4 English teams that you'd seriously fancy for winning the CL, any given year.

But there's no denying which period we've been in, and which one we're still currently in. :p

The German period ?

Says... one CL victory, by only one team, over a two-year span?

Not sure that's what we call a 'period', dude.

I think we are not in a domination period, last years Cl winners were from different countries and we cant see a superior nation in this actual Cl.
The English dominance is finished years ago, the only Chelsea victory past years can not justify any English domination.

And Barcelona being Spain's only finalist since 2002, and having not been there themselves for 3 years cannot justify any Spanish, either.

The difference being: both Arsenal and City have beaten Bayern over the last two years, and no-one else has. Oh, and Chelsea, just this year, only lost on penalties to Bayern in the UEFA Super Cup, which sounds remarkably similar to what they managed to do in 2012.

Sounds to me like Bayern's main competition, right now, is across the sea with the Old Enemy, not with the team who finished 25 points behind them in the league, nor with the league whose best team were stomped 7-0 over two legs.