Soccer in Europe
Soccer is the life force that drives Europe, or should I say football is the life force that drives Europe. Football is the only sport that matters in the majority of European nations. Each country may have its own specialty sport, i.e. cricket to England or bull fighting to Spain, but football is the most played and watched sport in the region. With the worlds best leagues and most the best players, European football is home to some of greatest players to ever play the game. The leagues and top quality clubs bring in players from all over the world who are attracted to the top level of competition and the big pay checks that come along with playing in Europe. The building block for European football is the past greats who have played the game in decades past. Coming from almost every country in Europe phenomenal players have grace spectators with their skill and passion for the game.
European club football is a huge business which attracts not only great players but huge endorsement deals. The top 20 wealthiest teams in the world all are from Europe. (http://www.forbes.com/2004/03/24/soccerland.html) What does this mean? It means that no where else in the world is football taken so seriously and with such passion. With clubs like Manchester United, valued at $1.2billion, and Juventus, valued at $828million (http://www.forbes.com/free_forbes/2004/0412/126tab_3.html), European soccer is a big business, which means great players want to play there. Every team in top flight European soccer has sponsors and endorsement deals. If you look on the front of every team’s kit you will see a logo of a company across the chest of every player. Around the pitch there are billboards scrolling with commercials for a variety of products. This money helps fuel the economic beast that is European club football. With each team trying to win the UEFA cup every dollar brought in by a corporate sponsor means another dollar available to try and gain every possible piece to the puzzle for each program.
The English Premiere league is Europe’s most recognized league world wide. With mega-clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool great players come flocking to England to be a part of the fervor that is English football. With 20 teams in the Premiere league the fight to stay in the top level of English football is very tough and with established clubs already on the pedestal new clubs want to work their way up to know someone else down. The English Premiere league is home to some of the best players in the world; Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Wayne Rooney (Man U), Didier Drogba (Chelsea), El-hadji Diouf (Bolton), Kanu (Portsmouth), Andriy Shevchenko (Chelsea), Michael Ballack (Chelsea), Tim Cahill (Everton), and the list goes on. These players who hail from; Ukraine, Cameroon, Australia, Ivory Coast, and from elsewhere else you can imagine want to play in England because, England like the rest of Europe, loves football. There are other great leagues in Europe but the English Premiere league is known for the having the money, the players, and emotion that drives club football.
The Spanish ‘La Liga’ and the Italian ‘Serie A’ are comparable to the English premiere league at the top level. These two leagues are based more around the beauty of the game than the physical brut mentality that has taken over the English style of play. The Italian and Spanish leagues don’t have the depth of the EPL (English Premiere League) but there top sides are equally as powerful and competitive. These two leagues attract players who prefer fancy footwork and dribbling skills over speed and an aerial attack. The Spanish league is most notorious for is two most famous clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid. These two clubs have combined for 39 ‘La Liga’ trophies. The Spanish leagues attract more players from South America than any where else in Europe because of the similarities in language and culture. Ronaldo, Ronaldiho, and Maxi Rodriguez and the latest wave of South Americans who have made their mark across the Atlantic in Europe. The Italian League ‘Serie A’ is known for its party-like atmosphere in the stands during the games. With drums playing and flares flying in the stands at an Italian game; fans enjoy the music while they sing and dance through the enjoy 90mins of the game. With a diversity of cultures and traditions throughout the European league system players can find their nitch and make the money they deserve. The foundation of European football is built on the history of great players that have come and gone. There are hundreds of players who have left their mark on the European game but three of the greatest are Hristo Stoichov, Michel Platini, and Johan Cruiff.
Hristo Stoichov isn’t as well know as some of the other greats that have played European club and International football but he helped shape Eastern European football to what it is today. He is undoubtedly the greatest player in the history of Bulgaria. When he began his international career Bulgaria was nowhere near qualify for the European championships and by the end of his career he had Bulgaria qualifying for back-to-back world cups. He put the Eastern Block on the map for football and his skills helped millions of people in his region. (http://www.uefa.com/uefa/ history/associationweeks/ association=20/newsId= 143204.html) Michel Platini is the only player in the history of UEFA Player of the Year to win back-to-back-to-back honors. From 1983-85 he was the best player in Europe and in 1984 he led France to the European Championship where they won. Platini was an amazing free-kick taker and an amazing passer of the ball. Johan Cruiff won European Player of the Year honors three times in 1971, ’73, and ’74. He was a great winger who would use he speed and cut back ability to swing in crosses into the box. He is known as the “total footballer” because of his ability to do it all on the pitch. (http://www.uefa.com/uefa/history /associationweeks/association=95/newsId=215769.html) With these great players and others like them European football is full of history and traditions, its no wonder why it still has the best players in the world and the best fans.
European football has it all traditions, great players, passionate fans, and a strong corporate backing. With the public support and the financial stability provided by major companies the European leagues will only continue to grow in wealth and popularity. This will in turn improve the European national sides so that European countries will become as successful as their leagues. The history of amazing talents and a future full of even better players is one that is exciting for those who follow Europe play. Most great players want to play in Europe and most Europeans want to see them there, it’s a match (no pun intended) made in heaven.