With no English clubs left in the Champions League, there has been no shortage of articles and blog essays proclaiming the end of English dominance and the demise of Premier League model. It’s worth remembering that football is a game of fine margins and Manchester United’s tussle with Bayern Munich could well have had another outcome. If Arsenal had not been drawn against Barcelona in the quarter finals, they might still be in the competition.
With no English clubs left in the Champions League, there has been no shortage of articles and blog essays proclaiming the end of English dominance and the demise of Premier League model. It’s worth remembering that football is a game of fine margins and Manchester United’s tussle with Bayern Munich could well have had another outcome. If Arsenal had not been drawn against Barcelona in the quarter finals, they might still be in the competition.
Nevertheless, one cannot deny Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness his crowing rights. He has a point when he says that the fall of sterling and the British tax regime has hit Premiership football hard. Last summer the big spenders in the transfer market were Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich. The only English big spender was Manchester City.
Coming down the road are Michel Platini’s ‘financial fair play’ rules and Hoeness thinks these will be another nail in the English coffin. Perhaps so, but it is probably too early to write off English clubs or the Premiership.