The Evolving Landscape of European Football Competitiveness

omidbasir- In recent years, the distances between teams in the world of football have seemingly diminished. The notion that there are no small teams and that any club can emerge victorious has become commonplace. This phenomenon has been termed the democratization of the sport, a kind of football globalization. However, if we examine the often unpredictable statistics, it may not be as straightforward as it appears.

Focusing on the major championships of Europe, notable disparities can be observed when analyzing the average point differences between the sixth-placed teams and the first teams facing relegation.

In the Premier League, there is a striking 20-point gap between Chelsea, who holds the fifth position and qualifies for European competition, and West Ham, currently sitting in 18th place and entering the relegation zone.

Similarly, in Serie A, the gap mirrors this trend, with Atalanta (sixth place) and Lecce (18th) separated by 21 points. In the Bundesliga, the scenario remains consistent: Leverkusen (sixth with 39 points) is 17 points ahead of St. Pauli, who are second from the bottom. Likewise, in Ligue 1, a 20-point difference exists between Rennes (sixth with 34 points) and Nantes, who sit in 14th place and are also second from the bottom.

Contrastingly, La Liga presents an exception to this overarching trend. Here, only an 11-point gap exists between the sixth-placed team, Espanyol (35 points), and Mallorca, who are in the direct relegation zone with 24 points.

This scenario raises questions about whether La Liga is an outlier among Europe’s prominent leagues. Does the fact that up to 13 teams are closely bunched in points signify greater competitiveness, or does it indicate a lower overall standard of play? Is the Spanish league the most democratic, particularly when considering the usual giants?

Are we witnessing an anomaly or a genuine trend within La Liga? With these questions piling up, we might also ask: Has this always been the case? For context, let’s examine the last three seasons by the 24th matchday.

Last year, Rayo sat in sixth place with 35 points, while Valencia was in 18th with only 23 points. In the 2023/24 season, there was a substantial 21-point difference between Betis (sixth) and Cádiz (18th); in 2022/23, the gap was again 13 points; in 2021/22, it increased to 24 points; and in 2020/21, there was a 16-point difference between the teams in European positions and those facing relegation at the same stage.

In the Big Five leagues of Europe, aside from an isolated season in the Bundesliga, a roughly 20-point gap has consistently existed in recent years. This topic certainly invites further debate.