As has been widely discussed in recent days, the wealthy club Manchester City has just received sanctions from UEFA for violating the rules of Financial Fair Play (FFP). As a result, take effect starting next season. But the author will not discuss too much about the matter of FFP itself. For readers who want to understand how FFP rules work, you can read my writing about the rules in my previous article.
Speaking of the Champions League, the most prestigious European club competition has indeed become excellent. A new European club can establish itself as the best European club if it has got the big ear trophy. No matter the good results in local competitions, if you can win the Champions League, a club will always remember its success. That also makes The Citizen preparing to appeal to CAS in order to compete in the Champions League next season. Aside from its prestige, the competition prizes received by the club are also large. Even qualifying for the qualification rounds already gets a commission let alone a champion, not to mention money from broadcasting rights that would be received by a large club. Just imagine, the Champions League is not only watched in Europe but also throughout the world.
On this basis, various clubs have tried various ways to get the big ear trophy. Well, one way is to strengthen the team with the world’s best players who were recruited with strong financial strength. That is also what actually happened for almost two decades, where many rich teams have sprung up to become the best clubs. The inclusion of world billionaires who invest or acquire a European club is what makes the creation of FFP rules. Because FFP not only prevents a club from collapsing but also prevents greedy club owners in the player transfer market.
But getting rich and gathering the best players from all over the world is in fact not enough to be a Champions League champion. Some say, money cannot buy the Champions League trophy. The most prestigious competition in Europe does have a unique magic.
In the list of the 10 richest clubs in the world released by Deloitte Football Money League, Barcelona and Real Madrid are still the champions. At the top of the richest club standings, Barcelona and Madrid trailed Manchester United in third place. German club, Bayern Munich is in fourth position above the rich French club, PSG. In the sixth to tenth positions are occupied by Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Juventus.
Can be seen in the list, English League clubs are very dominating. The English League does offer its charm, where they are able to attract many rich investors into the competition. But unfortunately history proves that the most Champions League trophy collectors are clubs from Spain with a collection of 18 trophies. England itself is in second place with 13 trophies followed by Italy with 12 trophies.
Facts from the release list of the world’s richest clubs, there are 3 clubs that have never won the Champions League. Is PSG, Man City, and Tottenham Hotspur who are rich club status but have never once raised a big ear. The big difference that distinguishes them from 7 other clubs is the historical record of their achievements.
Tottenham Hotspur is the saddest. Spurs, who are now cared for by Jose Mourinho, have transformed into a rich club since ENIC Group is owned as the majority shareholder. Since then they have brought in the best players from Hugo Lloris, Cristian Eriksen to Son Heung-Min. But in fact their trophy collection did not increase.
The last major trophy they won was the League Cup in 2007/2008. In domestic competition, Spurs are still having trouble getting the FA Cup trophy or English League champions. The best results of Spurs in European competition occurred last season when they reached the Champions League final before losing to Liverpool.
The fate of Manchester City under Sheikh Mansour is far better than Spurs. Yes, the billionaire from Abu Dhabi is much richer than the Levy family. City is arguably the most successful English club of the past decade. During the 2010-2019 period, The Citizen collected 2 FA Cup titles, 4 League Cup titles, 3 FA Community Shield titles, and 4 EPL titles.
Compared to Spurs, Man. City is far more negligent in buying players. Rows of star players have graced the club since being bought by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan in 2008. The player’s transfer record is quite high and each year the budget for player transfers is also great, as a result stars like Kun Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne, to Bernardo Silva are able to recruit them. To achieve success, City also recruited classy coaches such as Roberto Mancini and Pep Guardiola who have now donated 2 Premier League titles.
But their results in European competition are not much different from Spurs, The Citizen is even still losing to Spurs. The Citizen’s best achievement was to become a semifinalist in the 2015-2016 season. Unfortunately if their appeal in CAS is rejected, the chances of Pep Guardiola and Kun Aguero to get the big ear trophy stay this season alone.
The Citizen is desperately struggling to be able to compete in the Champions League next season. Rows of reliable lawyers are rumoured to have been prepared by the club’s management, the article of the Champions League is the most prestigious competition in Europe and the champion is legitimately called the best club of Europe.
Same as Man. City, PSG super rich club from France has also tried to get the title of the best club in Europe and the world since Qatari businessman bought it. Just like City, they recruit the best players with expensive transfer fees. Ibra, Thiago Silva to Cavani, Neymar and Mbappe are examples of some PSG recruits.
The result was they could indeed master the competition in France, but in Europe they were unable to reach the semifinals. Even in the last 3 editions, PSG always stopped in the last 16.
It feels like PSG’s ambitions in the Champions League this season will meet a steep road. In the last 16 PSG will face Borussia Dortmund. As rivals, Dortmund have better achievements than PSG in the Champions League. Dortmund has tasted champions in the 1996-1997 season and once finished runner-up in the 2012-2013 season.
Before meeting with Dortmund, PSG was in poor condition after being held to a draw at Ligue 1’s bottom club, Amiens. While Dortmund returned to find his best game after two defeats before a big win from Frankfurt last Thursday.
While Spurs will face a fairly balanced match counter RB Leipzig. Spurs are also in a good trend with 3 league wins in a row. Actually Leipzig is also almost similar to Spurs. The new RB Leipzig was formed in 2009 by the Red Bull company. Their achievements in the Bundesliga and Europe have also not been seen. So, the Spurs and Leipzig duel is arguably the arena of proof and prestige for the two clubs who began routinely join the Champions League.
Heavier steps will be taken Man. City have been awaited collection of 13 Champions League trophies and the world’s richest club, Real Madrid. The duel between the two teams is also referred to as the duel of Europe’s rich clubs. But the difference, Madrid has a trail of achievements that are far better than City.
Yes, the key is indeed the history of achievement. Madrid has formed the character of their champions from the past. The mentality of competing in European competition has also been Madrid and has been handed down from generation to generation, so that no matter who the players and coaches are, they can always excel.
Yes, there is no instant way in football to become a Champions League champion, everything needs a process. The phrase money cannot afford to buy a trophy is very relevant to the Champions League.
The most prestigious competition in Europe does indeed hold a unique magical where each team that appears attractive in the league, inhabited by many expensive players may not necessarily win the race for the championship. The Champions League indeed requires each team that competes to have a strong provision that is the mentality of champions and do not easily give up to become champions.
An example is Chelsea. Since being bought by Roman Abramovich in 2003, it took Chelsea until the 2011-2012 season to lift the big ear trophy. At that time Chelsea were also called quite lucky, the article the opponents they defeated were Bayern Munich 4 times Champions League winners with a classy squad like Robben, Ribery, and Neuer. At that time Chelsea also trained an interim manager, Roberto Di Matteo.
Nobody expected Chelsea to beat Munich but this is the special Champions League and Chelsea have also learned from the 2008 Champions League final when they were beaten by MU.
Then why can Chelsea but Spurs, Man. City, and PSG can’t? The answer is the mentality of competing in European competition. Chelsea have formed it and proved it by getting the Europa League trophy twice after getting the Champions League. Also different from the rich team without the other Champions trophy, Chelsea is not a weak team that is suddenly transformed into strong.
Indeed the key is to form a mentality early on and be patient in forming the squad not by alternating players and coaches like Man did. City and PSG. History also has proven that patience in forming the championship teams takes time and requires a high fighting spirit to be able to win the Champions League trophy. Not enough money to be able to juggle a team to become strong and champion, behind it there is an effort in each generation to form a champion character.
Then, can the rich team taste the Champions League trophy that is so charming but hard to find? The answer can be the same as we witnessed their struggle in the first leg of the Champions League last 16 which will be contested this week and the middle of next week.
Atletico Madrid vs Liverpool, Dortmund vs. PSG, Atalanta vs. Valencia, and Tottenham vs Leipzig will be contested on 18 and 19 February night European time or 19 and 20 February early morning Indonesian time. While Chelsea v Bayern, Napoli v Barcelona, Lyon v Juventus, and Real Madrid v Man. City will be scheduled next week.
Spurs, City and PSG both qualify for the round of 16 but no one knows whether their move this season will be smooth until the final round. Their champion mentality will be tested again, but does this team have a winning mentality in Europe? Then if you fail to win the trophy again, will the wealthy owners withdraw their investment?
ASL
