While a variety of teams like Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and a slew of English clubs might claim to be the biggest club, there is zero doubt that the Premier League is the richest, deepest, toughest and most talented in the world. The EPL brings in roughly €7B annually, Spain’s La Liga and Germany’s Bundesliga are relatively close around €4-5B, and Italy’s Serie A (€3B) and France’s Ligue 1 (€2B) round out the top five.
When the big clubs meet in the Champions League every year, there are mixed results. Since the turn of the century, Spain has won nearly half the trophies thanks to Barcelona and Madrid while England has only won five times. Germany is tied for third with Italy at three titles with Bayern responsible for each mark.
“Many of these comparisons between leagues are straightforward; you have to look at the financial resources,” said Bayern manager Vincent Kompany (via @iMiaSanMia). “The Premier League has the most financial resources, which is why it’s the best league in the world. For me, I’d say the Bundesliga comes second. Because if you look at talent: the Premier League has the most, because you can buy a lot of talent with a lot of money. But the Bundesliga has other things: a powerful fan culture and very talented players who come through at every club. The Premier League has an advantage at the moment, but the Bundesliga is the second best; it’s very exciting, with lots of good players and good teams.”
No one can blame Kompany for being a little biased. He has only played and coached in England, Germany, and his native Belgium. Germany is most likely third in the overall power rankings but Kompany brings up a genuine point about the culture. Plus, Bundesliga clubs have made a recent habit of producing elite talent before shipping them off to the Premier League.
