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Soccer fans help me out: Professional Leagues and Teams
Posted on 7/12/26 at 9:09 pm
Posted on 7/12/26 at 9:09 pm
I could be completely wrong in this, but...
1. As a general rule, is it fair to say that the English Premier League, top to bottom, is the "NFL" equivalent of professional soccer, aka cream of the crop?
2. If that understanding is true, why is that so? Money? Why is the EPL better than other European leagues?
3. Assuming, again, that the EPL is the best, why are other elite teams (Juventus, AC Milan, PSG, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayren Munich, Ajax, Inter Milan) perhaps lacking in notoriety? For instance, I can rarely, if ever, get their games on TV.
4. Following up, why are those other non-EPL leagues (not teams) not as notable as the EPL?
1. As a general rule, is it fair to say that the English Premier League, top to bottom, is the "NFL" equivalent of professional soccer, aka cream of the crop?
2. If that understanding is true, why is that so? Money? Why is the EPL better than other European leagues?
3. Assuming, again, that the EPL is the best, why are other elite teams (Juventus, AC Milan, PSG, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayren Munich, Ajax, Inter Milan) perhaps lacking in notoriety? For instance, I can rarely, if ever, get their games on TV.
4. Following up, why are those other non-EPL leagues (not teams) not as notable as the EPL?
10
Posted on 7/12/26 at 9:21 pm to GentleJackJones
quote:No. I've had a little bit too many after-dinner drinks to answer this in depth but if you had followed soccer over time you would know it has fluctuated over the decades. La Liga and the Serie A have had their times shared at the top. Various reasons including taxes have had in effect on them.
As a general rule, is it fair to say that the English Premier League, top to bottom, is the "NFL" equivalent of professional soccer, aka cream of the crop?
When it comes to European soccer most Americans seem to gravitate to the EPL.
Posted on 7/12/26 at 9:22 pm to GentleJackJones
If assuming currently:
1 yes
2 overall, money draws the best players
3 they do have notoriety as the best of their leagues, historically winning the CL. You can watch them, just get ESPN+ and Paramount
4 they are but EPL is the wealthiest league
COYS
1 yes
2 overall, money draws the best players
3 they do have notoriety as the best of their leagues, historically winning the CL. You can watch them, just get ESPN+ and Paramount
4 they are but EPL is the wealthiest league
COYS
This post was edited on 7/12/26 at 9:24 pm
Posted on 7/12/26 at 9:42 pm to GentleJackJones
EPL has been the strongest top to bottom for a while due to TV money, mainly because English is the language.
NFL isn't a good point of comparison at all though. The top European leagues are close enough that you'd need to compare them more like college conferences if anything. EPL clubs do well but also lose all the time to clubs from other European leagues.
And, even though EPL has been the richest league the past 15 or so years, that's translated more to depth of different really good teams than usually having the best teams.
Barcelona
Real Madrid
Paris St Germain
Bayern Munich
have arguably been the best clubs during that span of time.
NFL isn't a good point of comparison at all though. The top European leagues are close enough that you'd need to compare them more like college conferences if anything. EPL clubs do well but also lose all the time to clubs from other European leagues.
And, even though EPL has been the richest league the past 15 or so years, that's translated more to depth of different really good teams than usually having the best teams.
Barcelona
Real Madrid
Paris St Germain
Bayern Munich
have arguably been the best clubs during that span of time.
Posted on 7/12/26 at 9:51 pm to wm72
quote:
NFL isn't a good point of comparison at all though. The top European leagues are close enough that you'd need to compare them more like college conferences if anything. EPL clubs do well but also lose all the time to clubs from other European leagues.
Better point
Posted on 7/13/26 at 12:40 am to GentleJackJones
quote:
why are other elite teams (Juventus, AC Milan, PSG, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayren Munich, Ajax, Inter Milan) perhaps lacking in notoriety? For instance, I can rarely, if ever, get their games on TV.
The leagues all have different US TV providers.
For example, I mainly watch Italian Serie A and Champions League / Europa League (season long tournament where all the top European teams play each other) and those are on Paramount+
It's a lot easier to find EPL matches in the US because it's simply more popular here.
However, that's not exactly the same worldwide.
Spanish speaking countries have a lot more La Liga coverage, like to the point of cutting away from a big EPL match to show Real Madrid and Barcelona players boarding their buses.
Serie A is traditionally big in South America and New Jersey.
This post was edited on 7/13/26 at 4:59 am
Posted on 7/13/26 at 8:03 am to GentleJackJones
quote:
As a general rule, is it fair to say that the English Premier League, top to bottom, is the "NFL" equivalent of professional soccer, aka cream of the crop?
It makes the most money and due to that has the most depth.
quote:
If that understanding is true, why is that so? Money?
100% money
quote:
, why are other elite teams (Juventus, AC Milan, PSG, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayren Munich, Ajax, Inter Milan) perhaps lacking in notoriety?
You have to separate this into the Italian league and the rest.
Serie A used to be the best because it had the most money (90s into the 00s). This was because they had sugar daddy owners and it was before media deals changed the financial landscape. Now Serie A is relatively poor b/c of a bunch of factors, but primarily due to losing the sugar daddy owners and having outdated stadiums that prohibit revenue, which led to decreasing media rights. Italy being a relatively poorer country plays into this.
Spain and Germany are top-heavy. Real, Barca, and Bayern are typically super elite and have more name recognition than all EPL teams other than Man United (who has been in a decade-long dark age of recent). Their leagues don't make as much, but the money skews to the top (the media deal in Spain literally pays Real/Barca more than anyone, like the old Big12).
France's domestic league is a shite show that's bankrupt, but PSG has a sugar daddy owner, a nice stadium, and is in Paris. They've scaled back their spending (and won 2 CL titles thereafter, funny enough).
Netherlands and Portugal are like France without oil money owners. They're all developmental leagues who occasionally have elite teams when one club has a golden generation coming through and made incredible youth signings. They stay afloat by selling players to big leagues. They have almost no media presence in the US.
Posted on 7/13/26 at 8:32 am to wm72
quote:
NFL isn't a good point of comparison at all though.
Probably best off comparing it to college conferences. EPL is big 10/SEC, La Liga is the ACC, Serie A is Big 12, Ligue 1 is the C-USA
Posted on 7/13/26 at 8:40 am to GentleJackJones
The EPL has two seperate tv deals with England and the United States that are worth billions. Ad in deals with many other countries across the globe that are in the 100s of millions.
There’s less than a dozen clubs across Europe that can compare in player spending to even the worst teams in the EPL year in and year out.
2025/26
EPL-3.53 billion
Serie A-1.23 billion
La Liga-656 million
Ligue 1-641 million
Saudi-492 million
English Championship-357 million
LINK
This gulf in spending between the EPL and other leagues is showing up in depth. Since the rules changed two years ago and eliminated Champions League clubs are no longer pushed to the Europa League playoffs, the EPL has won both thr Europa and Conference League championships in back to back years and it’s really not been close. The EPL does not dominate the Champions League since clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG, and Bayern Munich can match the spending done by the top EPL clubs.
There’s less than a dozen clubs across Europe that can compare in player spending to even the worst teams in the EPL year in and year out.
2025/26
EPL-3.53 billion
Serie A-1.23 billion
La Liga-656 million
Ligue 1-641 million
Saudi-492 million
English Championship-357 million
LINK
This gulf in spending between the EPL and other leagues is showing up in depth. Since the rules changed two years ago and eliminated Champions League clubs are no longer pushed to the Europa League playoffs, the EPL has won both thr Europa and Conference League championships in back to back years and it’s really not been close. The EPL does not dominate the Champions League since clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG, and Bayern Munich can match the spending done by the top EPL clubs.
This post was edited on 7/13/26 at 8:56 am
Posted on 7/13/26 at 8:45 am to bluebarracuda
quote:
Probably best off comparing it to college conferences. EPL is big 10/SEC, La Liga is the ACC, Serie A is Big 12, Ligue 1 is the C-USA
This is similar to how I explain it to friends that don't watch. I tend to use college basketball, and it helps to explain Champions League & Europa Leage tournaments.
Posted on 7/13/26 at 9:02 am to GentleJackJones
When it comes to tv in America
EPL-NBC/USA/Peacock
La Liga-ESPN+ with a few ESPN family networks broadcasting the big matches
Bundesliga-ESPN+
Serie A-Paramount+
Ligue 1-None
Scottish-Paramount +
Netherlands-ESPN+
English Championship/League 1/League 2-Paramount+
EPL-NBC/USA/Peacock
La Liga-ESPN+ with a few ESPN family networks broadcasting the big matches
Bundesliga-ESPN+
Serie A-Paramount+
Ligue 1-None
Scottish-Paramount +
Netherlands-ESPN+
English Championship/League 1/League 2-Paramount+
Posted on 7/13/26 at 9:57 am to GentleJackJones
The League is but it doesn't have all of the best teams either.
Soccer is an open system, there is no salary cap. Teams from all over if they have the money can buy the best players and the great players switch leagues constantly. The other big leagues in Europe have top teams that are just as good or better than the cream of EPL.
Best way to see this is to get a Paramount Plus sub and watch the Champions League and watch the top teams from allover Europe play each other. Probably the pinnacle of club soccer.
Soccer is an open system, there is no salary cap. Teams from all over if they have the money can buy the best players and the great players switch leagues constantly. The other big leagues in Europe have top teams that are just as good or better than the cream of EPL.
Best way to see this is to get a Paramount Plus sub and watch the Champions League and watch the top teams from allover Europe play each other. Probably the pinnacle of club soccer.
Posted on 7/13/26 at 10:00 am to wm72
quote:
NFL isn't a good point of comparison at all though.
probably the worst to compare because its a closed cartel model with the strictest salary cap in professional sports.
Posted on 7/13/26 at 3:16 pm to GentleJackJones
It being in English helps.
Makes it easier to follow than the Russian league.
But yes, they have the most money these days. Especially since the tv rights to English speaking countries is very lucrative compared to some third world shithole.
Makes it easier to follow than the Russian league.
But yes, they have the most money these days. Especially since the tv rights to English speaking countries is very lucrative compared to some third world shithole.
Posted on 7/14/26 at 10:30 am to devils1854
Ligue 1 is on beIn Sport
Posted on 7/14/26 at 1:47 pm to CBandits82
quote:
Best way to see this is to get a Paramount Plus sub and watch the Champions League and watch the top teams from allover Europe play each other. Probably the pinnacle of club soccer.
What time of year is this? That sounds like a mini World Cup
Posted on 7/14/26 at 1:52 pm to BOSCEAUX
September 8th through Memorial Day for champions league.
Posted on 7/14/26 at 3:01 pm to jefforize
quote:
September 8th through Memorial Day for champions league.
Holy crap. That’s a long time. I’m assuming the other leagues like EPL run concurrently to this? I guess I’m confused. What do you have to do to get invited to play in Champions League?
Posted on 7/14/26 at 3:12 pm to bluebarracuda
Bundesliga-ESPN+
Serie A-Paramount+
Ligue 1-None
Bundesliga and Ligue 1 are the WAC from 03-11. Bayern Munich and PSG are the Boise state of their leagues, or Gonzaga in college basketball, The only competition is when they play in the champions league (out of conference college football).
Serie A-Paramount+
Ligue 1-None
quote:
Probably best off comparing it to college conferences. EPL is big 10/SEC, La Liga is the ACC, Serie A is Big 12, Ligue 1 is the C-USA
Bundesliga and Ligue 1 are the WAC from 03-11. Bayern Munich and PSG are the Boise state of their leagues, or Gonzaga in college basketball, The only competition is when they play in the champions league (out of conference college football).
Posted on 7/15/26 at 1:49 pm to GentleJackJones
EPL = SEC
La Liga = Big 10
League 1 = Big 12
Seria A = ACC
Bundesliga = Mountains West
La Liga = Big 10
League 1 = Big 12
Seria A = ACC
Bundesliga = Mountains West
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