[Cappy]

Correct. It's not a thing about british football, it's more of a result of how football has evolved into such a money related industry that sooner or later, unless something is done about it, the gap is just gonna grow and grow until the little ones start to dissapear, then the smaller of the big ones, and so on...

You could make an argument that it could help as well. One of the huge benefits to the English game is the TV contracts, because the English game is more exciting to most. The Italian league games feel like they last for three days with how slow the build-up is. So boring. Open up play, and get the TV contracts.

 

[Cappy]

You know that's not true. It's not a question of opening play. Spanish La Liga is as exciting as the PL, and look how Real got trampled. And they're a millionaire team too. Lyon, 8 times French champions, completely trampled by Barça. Right now, there's 3 major leagues in Europe, and the gap to the others is pretty big. After that, you have France, Russia, Germany, and after that, the rest of us. There's no competing with the cash the big leagues have, the PL especially. The talent goes to where the money is, but sooner or later, the smaller clubs start to go. We've had that here, quite a few times, and a lot more are on the verge of going. When that happens, there's no more prospecting, no more talent scouting, no more formation. Remember, Ronaldo came to Sporting at 12 years old, but he started playing in a smaller club, in the island of Madeira. That's true for a lot of talent. When that basis goes, so goes the entire structure it supports.

The best payed player in Portugal receives about half of what a benched player gets in England, in a mid-table club. And the gap is only spreading. It's clear that even the other 2 leagues are below par to the PL, and the difference between those 3 and the others is even more shocking.

Why do you think the English clubs have all the money though and why do the teams kill themselves to get into the EPL and stay there? Why do you think the billionaires keep buying EPL teams? It is because of the profit they see. It is because of the big time check they get from the TV contract. I am not saying it is the cure for everything. Granted I didn't clarify it, so i understand why it came out they way it did. The EPL style of play is infinitely more marketable than that of Serie A.

Sorry Sporting, I wasn't getting into all the other leagues, was mainly talking about the EPL/Serie A since that was what we just witnessed in the round of the CL.

 

[Cappy]

Well, sure, some make money, but not all. And like I said, the problem is that the money isn't beeing spread out. Everyone wants talent, but they don't want to pay for it. There's little doubt to me Ronaldo was worth more than the 15M € United payed for him, even if he was an 18/19 year old at the time. But would United have payed 25 or 30? I doubt it... And look at his value now. Look at the price tags on talent coming from abroad, and on players coming from 1 of the top 3 leagues. Every other one is a feeder for the major ones, and the other 2 are partially feeding the PL. How much was Berbatov? 30 million, or something? Is he worth it?

Yeah, I agree with you. I wasn't trying to talk rubbish or start a fight, but just it might help with the bigger leagues. Obviously the Portuguese League won't be able to compete against the Big 3 (EPL, Seire A, La Liga), for lots of reasons, which I am not about to act like I know near as much as you would about it.

My only point was that maybe Serie A will clean up their act and learn how to promote their product a bit better and get some money to compete. No one wants to watch a league of Mourinho's.