Comments on: Premier League Ranked Best in the World by IFFHS http://www.epltalk.com/premier-league-ranked-best-in-the-world-by-iffhs/10043 Daily News & Analysis of the English Premier League Sat, 20 Mar 2010 19:47:05 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Thomas http://www.epltalk.com/premier-league-ranked-best-in-the-world-by-iffhs/10043#comment-66727 Thomas Fri, 14 Aug 2009 23:02:08 +0000 http://www.epltalk.com/?p=10043#comment-66727 I agree, Italy is a dying league. People say these things are cyclical...I have my doubts. We've entered an unprecedented era of football. The leagues that have secured big TV Deals (England, the big teams in Spain), will continue to have an advantage. As both of these leagues continue to draw the most talented players in the world, their profile will continue to go up. The next TV deal will be bigger. I feel that Italy is caught in a conundrum. Their big teams may be able to survive and stay competitive. But overall, their stuck in no mans land. England and Spain are the top dogs. Italy is in this place where they aren't really able to compete with English/ big Spanish sides for players, yet lack the excitement and parity of the Bundesliga. I've grown my appreciation for Serie A, and the technical style they employ. But I will say, it doesn't translate well to TV. And in comparison to the EPL, especially in the eyes of the casual fan, looks dull and subpar. I agree, Italy is a dying league.

People say these things are cyclical…I have my doubts.

We’ve entered an unprecedented era of football. The leagues that have secured big TV Deals (England, the big teams in Spain), will continue to have an advantage.

As both of these leagues continue to draw the most talented players in the world, their profile will continue to go up. The next TV deal will be bigger.

I feel that Italy is caught in a conundrum. Their big teams may be able to survive and stay competitive. But overall, their stuck in no mans land. England and Spain are the top dogs. Italy is in this place where they aren’t really able to compete with English/ big Spanish sides for players, yet lack the excitement and parity of the Bundesliga.

I’ve grown my appreciation for Serie A, and the technical style they employ. But I will say, it doesn’t translate well to TV. And in comparison to the EPL, especially in the eyes of the casual fan, looks dull and subpar.

]]> By: Thomas http://www.epltalk.com/premier-league-ranked-best-in-the-world-by-iffhs/10043#comment-66725 Thomas Fri, 14 Aug 2009 22:58:07 +0000 http://www.epltalk.com/?p=10043#comment-66725 I know the sports are huge in all 3 of those countries. But would you saw a strength of the Arab clubs is from big money owners or does it come from a big fan base? I'm assuming some of the Arab clubs have some serious financial backing. Just from playing the sport here in America, and playing casually at my University, you can see how big the sport is in Korea and Arab nations. I know the sports are huge in all 3 of those countries. But would you saw a strength of the Arab clubs is from big money owners or does it come from a big fan base? I’m assuming some of the Arab clubs have some serious financial backing.

Just from playing the sport here in America, and playing casually at my University, you can see how big the sport is in Korea and Arab nations.

]]> By: Matthew http://www.epltalk.com/premier-league-ranked-best-in-the-world-by-iffhs/10043#comment-66533 Matthew Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:12:05 +0000 http://www.epltalk.com/?p=10043#comment-66533 Not sure if this is a partial or a final list, but there are many other fundamental flaws aside from the fact it does not attempt to factor in lower divisions. Ranking the Brazilian and Argentinian Leagues at 2 and 3 is absolutely ludicrous as everyone knows that practically every good Brazilian and Argentinian player plays in Europe, usually in one of the top five leagues. And I understand that the creators of this list do not want to seem too Eurocentric, but how on earth could the Saudi Arabian league for instance rank higher than Holland, Portugal, Scotland, Belgium and Russia? Would anyone care to test that assumption with a six-team tournament pitting Rangers, FC Porto, AZ, Standard Liege and Rubin Kazan against whomever in the hell is the top placed Saudi team? Give me a break. Not sure if this is a partial or a final list, but there are many other fundamental flaws aside from the fact it does not attempt to factor in lower divisions. Ranking the Brazilian and Argentinian Leagues at 2 and 3 is absolutely ludicrous as everyone knows that practically every good Brazilian and Argentinian player plays in Europe, usually in one of the top five leagues.

And I understand that the creators of this list do not want to seem too Eurocentric, but how on earth could the Saudi Arabian league for instance rank higher than Holland, Portugal, Scotland, Belgium and Russia? Would anyone care to test that assumption with a six-team tournament pitting Rangers, FC Porto, AZ, Standard Liege and Rubin Kazan against whomever in the hell is the top placed Saudi team? Give me a break.

]]> By: Kartik Krishnaiyer http://www.epltalk.com/premier-league-ranked-best-in-the-world-by-iffhs/10043#comment-66526 Kartik Krishnaiyer Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:40:37 +0000 http://www.epltalk.com/?p=10043#comment-66526 Is that a complete final ranking? If it is, poor Mexico as they got penalized for Swine Flu and their forced withdrawal from Copa Lib and Copa Sudamericana. I think that is only a partial ranking, but interesting. Is that a complete final ranking? If it is, poor Mexico as they got penalized for Swine Flu and their forced withdrawal from Copa Lib and Copa Sudamericana. I think that is only a partial ranking, but interesting.

]]> By: Kartik Krishnaiyer http://www.epltalk.com/premier-league-ranked-best-in-the-world-by-iffhs/10043#comment-66522 Kartik Krishnaiyer Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:35:54 +0000 http://www.epltalk.com/?p=10043#comment-66522 http://www.iffhs.de/?b6e28fa3002f71504e52d17f7370eff3702bb1c2bb11 USA is 77th. It is a problem that they don't rate lower leagues though because the CONCACAF success of the two USL teams last year would have helped the US rating, while it was punished by the failure of New England to beat a semi-pro team in the qualifying round. This year the US rating will be hurt by a Canadian team with 5 american roster players losing to a USL team with 11 american roster players. So, yes the system is flawed, but still it gives us the best comparison of top flights we can find. http://www.iffhs.de/?b6e28fa3002f71504e52d17f7370eff3702bb1c2bb11

USA is 77th. It is a problem that they don’t rate lower leagues though because the CONCACAF success of the two USL teams last year would have helped the US rating, while it was punished by the failure of New England to beat a semi-pro team in the qualifying round.

This year the US rating will be hurt by a Canadian team with 5 american roster players losing to a USL team with 11 american roster players. So, yes the system is flawed, but still it gives us the best comparison of top flights we can find.

]]> By: Kartik Krishnaiyer http://www.epltalk.com/premier-league-ranked-best-in-the-world-by-iffhs/10043#comment-66521 Kartik Krishnaiyer Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:33:51 +0000 http://www.epltalk.com/?p=10043#comment-66521 77th is too low, I admit, but honestly it's somewhere in the 40th to 50th range. I rate the Mexican League higher than Argentina so, I was shocked to see it rated 5 spots lower. 77th is too low, I admit, but honestly it’s somewhere in the 40th to 50th range. I rate the Mexican League higher than Argentina so, I was shocked to see it rated 5 spots lower.

]]> By: Kartik Krishnaiyer http://www.epltalk.com/premier-league-ranked-best-in-the-world-by-iffhs/10043#comment-66520 Kartik Krishnaiyer Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:32:58 +0000 http://www.epltalk.com/?p=10043#comment-66520 The worst first division team in Mexico is better over the long haul than the best MLS team. MLS is nowhere near the 20th best league in the world. It's not even close. Japan, Korea, and some of the Arab nations all have stronger leagues than MLS. The worst first division team in Mexico is better over the long haul than the best MLS team. MLS is nowhere near the 20th best league in the world. It’s not even close. Japan, Korea, and some of the Arab nations all have stronger leagues than MLS.

]]> By: Eddie http://www.epltalk.com/premier-league-ranked-best-in-the-world-by-iffhs/10043#comment-66492 Eddie Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:03:39 +0000 http://www.epltalk.com/?p=10043#comment-66492 Meaningless list ... meant to get people in a tizzy. Meaningless list … meant to get people in a tizzy.

]]> By: Matthew http://www.epltalk.com/premier-league-ranked-best-in-the-world-by-iffhs/10043#comment-66484 Matthew Fri, 14 Aug 2009 12:32:03 +0000 http://www.epltalk.com/?p=10043#comment-66484 Not quite following where you got your list from: Isn't this the current list for 2009 and this puts MLS at 55th? http://www.iffhs.de/?b6e20fa3002f70d00ee2d17f7370eff3702bb1c2bb0e NB This entire ranking system is fundamentally flawed anyway in that it takes no account of second, third or fourth divisions within individual federations. It is widely recognized for example that the Coca-Cola Championship is the fourth largest supported league in the world (ahead of both Brazil and Argentina for example) and the level of competition there would not be much further behind. And you take Celtic and Rangers out of the SPL and I doubt the rest of the division could succeed in the English third division. Not quite following where you got your list from: Isn’t this the current list for 2009 and this puts MLS at 55th?

http://www.iffhs.de/?b6e20fa3002f70d00ee2d17f7370eff3702bb1c2bb0e

NB This entire ranking system is fundamentally flawed anyway in that it takes no account of second, third or fourth divisions within individual federations. It is widely recognized for example that the Coca-Cola Championship is the fourth largest supported league in the world (ahead of both Brazil and Argentina for example) and the level of competition there would not be much further behind. And you take Celtic and Rangers out of the SPL and I doubt the rest of the division could succeed in the English third division.

]]> By: Ian http://www.epltalk.com/premier-league-ranked-best-in-the-world-by-iffhs/10043#comment-66463 Ian Fri, 14 Aug 2009 10:05:28 +0000 http://www.epltalk.com/?p=10043#comment-66463 I have no idea how they come to this list, but whatever means they are using, its nonsense. MLS may be a long way behind the top Euro leagues, but its miles higher than 77th. This is my ranking, based purely on 23 years of watching football in a number of countries, and with no scientific basis whatsoever- 1. England 2.Spain 3. Italy 4.Germany 5.France 6. Portugal 7.Holland 8.Brazil 9.Turkey 10.Russia I don't watch enough from other leagues to judge lower down that this, but I would assume Mexico and the US would come in the next 10 or so, as would Argentina, same for the English second tier (or 'the championship' as our coca cola/FA overlords have us call it) I have no idea how they come to this list, but whatever means they are using, its nonsense. MLS may be a long way behind the top Euro leagues, but its miles higher than 77th.

This is my ranking, based purely on 23 years of watching football in a number of countries, and with no scientific basis whatsoever-

1. England
2.Spain
3. Italy
4.Germany
5.France
6. Portugal
7.Holland
8.Brazil
9.Turkey
10.Russia

I don’t watch enough from other leagues to judge lower down that this, but I would assume Mexico and the US would come in the next 10 or so, as would Argentina, same for the English second tier (or ‘the championship’ as our coca cola/FA overlords have us call it)

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