The Premier League’s immense financial power has led to its overwhelming presence in the Champions League, prompting rivals like LaLiga to propose staging matches abroad to compete.
In the build-up to this season’s Champions League, a debate has been simmering that could shape the tournament’s future: should domestic leagues be allowed to stage matches abroad?
At a meeting last week, UEFA’s Executive Committee discussed the possibility after heavy lobbying, particularly from LaLiga president Javier Tebas, who is pressing the case for Spanish league games to be held overseas. The matter was deemed too complex and postponed for further discussion. Yet Tebas insists the argument is simple-pointing to the fact that six Premier League clubs are competing in the Champions League this season, an unprecedented display of English dominance that forces LaLiga to consider bold alternatives to remain relevant.
By contrast, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has been unequivocal-there are no plans for the English top flight to stage matches abroad. The Premier League doesn’t need to. Its financial muscle and global reach mean that it already dominates without having to experiment.
Premier League’s Overwhelming Presence
This year, nearly half of the league’s clubs are competing in European competitions, with nine participating across the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League. That includes six in the Champions League alone, equivalent to one-sixth of the 36-team group stage.
Such representation has been described as excessive-a form of “Super League by stealth.” In a footballing world where many leagues struggle for recognition and resources, the Premier League continues to extend its reach, benefitting from both its wealth and its structural advantages.
Much of this dominance traces back to money. The Premier League generates more than £1 billion a year in broadcasting revenue than any other league, which in turn fuels record spending power. English clubs collectively spend around £2.5 billion more on wages than competitors elsewhere, with this year’s transfer window alone seeing £3 billion splashed on signings.
The results? Even under-performing sides like Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United made it to last season’s Europa League final, securing England an additional Champions League spot thanks to the improved UEFA coefficient. It now seems likely that the Premier League’s trademark “top four” will effectively become a “top five” most seasons. In the last decade, La Liga seems to be the league that mostly has the five-club representation in Europe as Spanish clubs usually won the Europa League.
The Paradox of Power
For all this financial superiority, the actual return in terms of European trophies isn’t as overwhelming as it might seem. Since the 2020-21 season-the Covid-disrupted campaign often seen as the turning point when English wealth opened a larger gap-Premier League clubs have produced only two European champions, the same as Real Madrid. In total, there have been four finalists and six semi-finalists from England during that period.
That’s an impressive record, but not proportionate to the billions being spent. It falls short of earlier periods of dominance, like 2007-08 or 2008-09, when three English clubs filled the semi-finals two years in a row.
Some of this variation is attributed to fortune. Liverpool came agonisingly close to knocking out eventual champions PSG, while Arsenal were undone by small margins in their semi-final exit. Others question whether there are diminishing returns after a certain spending level-when you already possess most of the top talent, splashing a bit more doesn’t necessarily translate to improved results.
The Challenge of Fatigue
Another paradox is that England’s strength may also be its weakness. Having so many clubs capable of competing at the highest level makes the domestic league more grueling, leaving teams fatigued for continental knockout stages. English clubs also deal with more fixtures than most, as the Premier League’s calendar is more demanding than any other major league, with even mid-table teams like Brentford outspending fourth-placed sides elsewhere in Europe.
The expansion of the Champions League, which eliminated England’s brief winter break, has only intensified this schedule, making January the busiest month of the year. Rival leagues see this as a potential equaliser in Europe’s competitive balance.
Global Leagues, Individual Superclubs
The discussion, however, has shifted from leagues to individual superclubs. Outside England, it is typically only giants like Paris Saint-Germain or Real Madrid that carry their nation’s hopes into the latter stages. By contrast, English representation is spread across multiple big teams. Still, clubs like Barcelona and Juventus now lack the financial firepower to rebuild in the way Arsenal or Liverpool can. Barcelona still somehow find the way to bring out to talent that can match Real Madrid, thanks to their academy La Masia.
Liverpool, for instance, have rebuilt into one of Europe’s most elite squads, boasting an attacking depth unmatched on the continent after signing Alexander Isak, while Arsenal have assembled a squad to match Chelsea’s resources. Such strength further underlines the gulf.
At the same time, the Premier League absorbs much of the continent’s coaching brainpower. Managers like Andoni Iraola, previously the type of rising talent who might have found a platform at Valencia or Lyon, are now snapped up to coach mid-level Premier League sides such as Bournemouth. Innovation, once distributed across Europe, now increasingly flows through England.
A Knife-Edge Future
All of this leads to a delicate balance. The Premier League’s supremacy feels inescapable, but its very excess may ultimately hinder it. With at least half a dozen English sides strong enough to qualify each season, probability dictates that one or two are likely to go far. But fatigue, fixture congestion, and small margins mean nothing is guaranteed.
Figures like Javier Tebas know that LaLiga cannot win this battle on money alone, which is why they continue to lobby for alternative strategies such as staging matches abroad. For other leagues to stay competitive, they will need new ideas to counter the Premier League’s spending machine-a problem that is only growing as the Champions League evolves.