Is the Premier league the strongest in Europe?

[Kurt Nogood]

Going on this seasons performances in Europe I would say not.

Our 2 best sides, going on league standings, City and Utd went out at the Champs league group stage. Arsenal went out to a very average Milan side and Chelsea have an uphill struggle to get past another mediocre Italian side.

The Europa league has been no better.

Personally I think its just a one off and would expect a much better showing from English sides next season.

 

[perseus]

Nope

Spanish

 

[SeagullSongs]

The strongest teams in Europe are in Spain and Italy (Barca, Madrid, Inter, etc), but I'd say the Premier League is the most competitive (Herpes is the nicest of all the STD's) and has the highest overall standard of football.

 

[JJB]

The Spanish league has been the strongest for 4/5 years now. That's why the best players want to go there instead of England. England is good to make a quick buck, nothing more. That title however will quickly switch to Russia who will no doubt have the strongest league in the world in 5-10 years. It all goes in cycles, 90's were Italy, majority of 00's England, now Spain. The EPL will in 5 years be a mere shell of it's current self, as all the clubs go bust.

 

[Triggaaar]

The Spanish league has been the strongest for 4/5 years now. That's why the best players want to go there instead of England. England is good to make a quick buck, nothing more. That title however will quickly switch to Russia who will no doubt have the strongest league in the world in 5-10 years. It all goes in cycles, 90's were Italy, majority of 00's England, now Spain. The EPL will in 5 years be a mere shell of it's current self, as all the clubs go bust.

Meanwhile on planet earth ...

 

[Schrödinger's Toad]

Arsenal went out to a very average Milan side and Chelsea have an uphill struggle to get past another mediocre Italian side.

To be fair, Napoli aren't mediocre. Their front three would get into any Premiership side.

The Premiership's still probably the strongest overall, but Spain certainly has better individual sides.

 

[beorhthelm]

The strongest teams in Europe are in Spain and Italy (Barca, Madrid, Inter, etc), but I'd say the Premier League is the most competitive (Herpes is the nicest of all the STD's) and has the highest overall standard of football.

good summing up, though i think Man City could join that group you list and certainly Man U, Arsenal and Chelsea have been there at time the past decade.

one point to note about players going to Spain and Italy i believe, is that they have special tax arrangments, so there isnt 40% tax and 20% NI on the wages, so more can be paid to a player for less total cost to the club.

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

Either the Spanish and Italian leagues are getting better, or the Premier League is just having a bad season - we wont truly know until next season.

 

[bn1&bn3 Albion]

The premier league is the most competitive but not the strongest.

 

[8ace]

The premier league is the most competitive but not the strongest.

The German League is arguably the most competive rad.

 

[blockhseagull]

Probably the strongest overall league but doesn't have strongest teams

 

[e77]

I don't think it was ever the strongest league out of the big (then) 4, although if teams put stronger sides out in the Europa League we would know better.

 

[KZNSeagull]

I would have thought that as English teams have only won the Champs League 3 times since 1992 and 11 times (I think) since 1955 taking into account the European Cup etc, the top division in England has never been the strongest.

Competitive possibly, but not strongest. The only people who keep banging on about it being the strongest are those affiliated with a certain TV company that just so happen to have the rights to show all Premier League games.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

I don't think it was ever the strongest league out of the big (then) 4, although if teams put stronger sides out in the Europa League we would know better.

So when England had three sides in the Champions League semi-finals we were arguably not the strongest league? Hmmmmm

 

[e77]

So when England had three sides in the Champions League semi-finals we were arguably not the strongest league? Hmmmmm

Depends on your criteria. We definitely had the strongest top teams but I am not sure the teams below that were better than their Spanish equivalents.

 

[Springal]

Was going to say, the German league is very competitive, but because Sky don't have coverage, it can't possibly be.

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

Misguided fools saying the Prem is the most competitive in Europe. Obviously Sky's party-line sucks in people on that front as well

Bundesliga has been much more competitive for years.

 

[Austrian Gull]

I think, overall, it's probably the Spanish league even if Barcelona and real Madrid seemed to have invented a new two-team division.

Middling Spanish sides like Bilbao, Villareal, La Coruna (in the past), Sevilla, Espanyol etc. often do well in Europe and play with attacking flair.

 

[JetsetJimbo]

I would have thought that as English teams have only won the Champs League 3 times since 1992 and 11 times (I think) since 1955 taking into account the European Cup etc, the top division in England has never been the strongest.

Somebody needs to read up on English clubs' pre-ban record. Take a look at this list of winners:
1977: Liverpool
1978: Liverpool
1979: Nottm Forest
1980: Nottm Forest
1981: Liverpool
1982: Aston Villa
1983: Hamburg
1984: Liverpool

So, 8 years and only one non-English winning team. I think we can safely say that the top division in England was probably Europe's strongest back then (we had two losing finalists around that period too, Leeds in 75 and of course Liverpool in 85).

 

[Lethargic]

Really depends on how you are measuring it, if we skim the cream off the top spots ie our top 3 against other top 3s then we are in the running but not the best, if you compare the bottom 3 across league probably the best, if its European titles then the fact can be measured.
On the whole I would say league against league the Premier does come out top as the quality goes further down the league than others, but saying that Real and Barcelona against the 2 Mancs - no contest Spain everytime.
Once we are promoted then no debate the Premiership will be the strongest