According to a Financial Times analysis, the amount of money in the Premier League has increased its competitiveness, to the point that the top clubs have to devote so much energy to the domestic campaign they are too drained to take on Europe’s leading clubs.
According to a Financial Times analysis, the amount of money in the Premier League has increased its competitiveness, to the point that the top clubs have to devote so much energy to the domestic campaign they are too drained to take on Europe’s leading clubs.
Five Premier League sides are in the top 10 richest sides in Europe. The other five are Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain. Each of the latter have qualified for the Champions League with ease because they dominate matches in their domestic leagues far more than their English counterparts.
The statistics suggest that these sides are able to play at a lower intensity in domestic matches for longer periods because their home leagues are less competitive – they take a comfortable lead and can conserve more energy. As a result, they can focus their efforts on tougher European matches.
Top English teams do not have a huge pay advantage over their domestic rivals. Manchester United’s wage bill is only 2.3 times the average in the Premier League. By contrast PSG’s wage bill is 11.3 times the median wage bill in its domestic league. Barcelona’s wage bill is 9.2 times higher and Real Madrid’s is 8.3 times higher. That of Juventus is 5.6 times higher.
This is because most European leagues distribute money from television rights deals less evenly than the Premier League. What is more, the amount of money in the Premier League has meant English teams are becoming less financially dependent on performances in European competitions than their continental rivals. However, competing successfully in it is still important for prestige.