Are English teams ready to dominate European football once again?
For the first time in the history of European football, four English clubs have reached the final of Europe's two of the premier club tournaments. As the four clubs have dominated this term, there have been mixed reactions as to if this is healthy or warning signals for European football. The English teams might be on the rise again, as we analyze further.
Arsenal-Chelsea to headline Europa League, Liverpool-Tottenham dominate UCL
Former European champions Liverpool are all set to take the center stage when they face off against first-time finalists Tottenham Hotspur in the final of the UEFA Champions League. Meanwhile, Arsenal and Chelsea would go head-to-head in the final of the UEFA Europa League. While Chelsea had last won the tournament in 2012-13, Arsenal have never won any European tournament to date.
England dominated European football between 2005-09
England had completely dominated the football scene from 2005 to 2009. During this period, five English clubs reached the finals of UCL, while 2008 final was an all-England affair, as Manchester United beat Chelsea for their third European title. Albeit it has taken them 10 years to script a comeback, but, it could well be the beginning of another dominant English run.
2018-19 witnessed end of Spanish dominance
It must be noted that since the 2013-14 season, Spanish clubs decimated others, especially in the Champions League. Notably, Real Madrid won three back to back UCL trophies. Owing to that, the Spanish clubs built a loyal fan base. However, this trend has been broken this year. This season was full of surprises as smaller clubs like Ajax and Spurs overcame big-money spending teams.
Is it money or desire?
There were critics who said that with already tons of money in English football, they are always at an advantage to qualify for finals. However, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said, "It's not about money. We went through because of our desire and so did Tottenham." It should also be noted that none of the four English clubs are among the richest clubs.
Five English teams could play UCL next season
The rise of English dominance could also mean that next season could see five teams from the country playing the UCL. The last time five teams from the nation played the tournament was back in 2017-18, when United had made it to the group stage by winning the 2016-17 Europa League. This time, it could be Arsenal making it with the Europa League win.
Too early to say, but certainly could be another beginning
As critics feel English dominance is back, the author thinks that it is too early to draw conclusions right after one successful season. However, there is a possibility that it could be the beginning of even fearless supremacy by the English clubs, now that there are six dominant clubs in the country. Moreover, with more money flowing in, England has certainly drawn attention again.
