Home to roost

Game shows a wonderful ability to sort itself out

Gabriele Marcotti covers international soccer for CNNSI.com. He will answer questions from users in his mailbag periodically.

Over 20 games through in the Spanish league and Barcelona are hovering just 2 points above the relegation zone. OH MY GOD! I think that fact alone should give the impression that the Spanish league is a step above the rest of the European Leagues. Yes, Leeds United are also struggling in England, AS Roma are in Italy, but these teams are not of the same caliber as Barcelona.

If that isn't enough to convince the people that the Spanish league is the best, just take a look at how Barcelona strolled to victory in their eight successive games in the Champions League. From that, one can deduce that Barcelona can very well compete with top European sides but seemingly have greater difficulties in coping with teams in their domestic league. I am aware that evaluating the quality of a domestic league is much more complex than that, but I believe this "Barcelona situation" gives substantial evidence of the fierce competitiveness and high quality that exists in the La Liga. Wouldn't you agree?
--Karim Kamel

La Liga is obviously one of the best leagues in the world, if not the best. I'm not sure how much Barcelona's Jekyll-and-Hyde performances domestically and in the Champions League support your argument, however. For starters, I don't think Barcelona has faced top competition in Europe yet. Also, I'm not convinced that the current Barca squad, taken as individuals, is that strong (particularly with Luis Enrique still sidelined).

I see a lot of mediocrity in that lineup, particularly at the back (with the exception of Carlos Puyol). We'll get a better indication in a few weeks, but remember, your argument could also be turned inside out to prove the opposite: Real Madrid has taken just four of a possible 18 points in its last six Champions League matches, yet it's second in La Liga. Does this mean that La Liga is intrinsically weak? I think not.

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What is wrong with Roma? Why are they pointing fingers at almost everybody? I just read an article about Roma's president saying that his team's woes are due to Juventus and AC Milan. Now, to me, that is the last straw. After the referees and the league, now it's Juve and Milan. I think they should just shut up and play football. Don't you think they're bringing the game of football down? They should be ashamed of themselves!
--Robert, chicago, IL

Roma chairman Franco Sensi is an opinionated guy. His argument is that there is an inherent conflict of interest in Serie A, where the head of the league is also Milan's vice chairman, Adriano Galliani. He implies that referees -- consciously or subconsciously -- favor Juventus and Milan, which are seen as "powerful" clubs. I think he has a right to speak his mind, but, if his serious allegations are unfounded, he should face the consequences.

How soon do you think Real Madrid will implode? You know there is no club that can sustain this level of madness, i.e. the salaries, the stars etc. As you can see there is already an implosion in the rest of European football, and I feel that is good so as to contain the arrogance of the so-called big clubs. Their attitude of making money at all cost is not good for the game. I believe their ultimate aim will be to kill national team football. Am I wrong in this assessment?
--bello anka inua, sheffield u.k.

While it's true that many big clubs feel they need international matches as much as they need a hole in the head, I don't think they will ever be able to destroy national team games. The World Cup and European Championships are simply too big.

The game is struggling financially, but the reasons are many and complex. And it's not some type of divine retribution against big, greedy clubs, because many smaller teams have been hurt as well. Sure, maybe they were arrogant in many ways, but it's worth remembering that even when they overspent it was largely about attracting top players and, surely that is something fans can appreciate.

As for Real Madrid, I'm pretty skeptical about some of the economic justification that chairman Florentino Perez has used to explain the signings of Luis Figo, Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane. To me it sounds like voodoo economics, particularly in this climate. But, hey, it's their money and they can do what they want with it. If Perez's numbers are wrong, his chickens will come home to roost.

Care to comment on the impact that the number of foreign players have on national sides? Scotland, for instance, used to have a core of European Cup winning players; now you cant find a player on the current team who would have been on the subs' bench in the 70s and 80s Scottish side. At the same time, you won't find more than one or two Scotsmen playing for Celtic or Rangers. On the one hand, it can be argued that importing so many foreigners to your game reduces the chances for your own homegrown talent to be developed. On the other hand, with the stars following the money, the nations that they leave have poorer domestic football. Is there any way out of this situation? We need the television money in the game but to what cost? Where do we draw the line, since there is no doubt it is destroying the integrity of the game.
--David Litterick, New York

I'm afraid I'm going to have to disagree on a few points. Countries like Turkey, Holland, Italy and Spain have also had a strong influx of foreign players, yet they've done well both at full international and under-21 level. How does one explain that?

I think it's too easy to blame foreign players, and the issue of strong domestic leagues and national sides should be treated separately. If the big stars leave, say, Scotland, doesn't that create more chances for home-grown talent? Isn't that a good thing? And if the foreign players that are brought in are better than the Scottish players, doesn't that strengthen the overall quality of the league? What happened years ago? Didn't the top players from smaller clubs gravitate towards Celtic and Rangers in Scotland and other big clubs elsewhere? Did that affect the integrity of the game?

The game has a wonderful ability to sort itself out. Already, clubs are investing more in youth academies, realizing that it's cheaper than importing talent. Don't forget that clubs exist to win matches. And, to do that, they want the best players available. Protectionism doesn't work: If the young local boys are good enough, they will get playing time.

 

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