The European Champions League: A curtain raiser for the World Cup?
By Nkosana Manfred
The Champions League sit on the crest of club football. The World Cup is also at the apex of
Viewership for both finals in 2014 strongly suggests that the World Cup calls the shots, with 3,2 billion viewers as opposed to 1,9 million viewers for the Champions League. Do numbers tell the whole story? You decide.
The Champions League is an annual event whilst the World Cup is a four-year event. Is the comparison even fair? Factoring in that one is club based where player loyalty can shift seasonally while for the other the pool of player selection isn’t as flexible, maybe comparing the two is an extreme unnecessity for the passionate football lovers to engage in.
While the analysts deliberate on trends and fashions as this article purposes to do. The relationship between the Champions League and the World Cup is always fascinating to ponder on. It is rare for star players in The Champions League not to be involved in the World Cup. Think of Ryan Giggs, George Weah and Abedi Pele as one of the few high profile players in The Champions League to miss out on the World Cup. Both tournaments attract the best, not only of Europe but of the whole world. The pull of Europe’s mega clubs is irresistible for the best of talent and the glamour of the Champions League is an icing that enables it to pool the best into it.
Brazil won the 1994 World Cup after the Italian golden boy, Roberto Baggio missed his penalty in the shootouts. The Brazilians did not boast of many players turning out for huge European sides except for their talisman Romario who was banging goals in for Barcelona. Brazilian flair and their tactical nous carried the day till they reached the final, which they won by pure grit and determination. Azzuri’s big game experience of Maldini, Massaro, Donadoni and Baresi did not spare Italian blushes despite their appearances in two consecutive ECL finals with Milan in 1993-4. Could that experience have been the factor that propelled Italy to the finals?
1998 World Cup saw Brazil lose to France in a humiliating 3-0 drubbing. Zinedine Zidane scoring two identical headers to silence the favourites and lead the hosts to glory in full view of an ecstatic Paris crowd. Brazil, having more than four previous winners in their squad, cruised to the finals but came short. it was France boasting of four ECL final participants in recent seasons that carried the day in overwhelming fashion. Desailly, Karembeu featuring in at least one final each, Zinedine Zidane and Deschamps two consecutive, led the hosts brilliantly to victory.
Brazil came back for glory in Korea-Japan. The Scolari coached giants swaggered their way to lifting the Cup. They took five of their losing finalists in 1998 to the tournament and their continuity was duly rewarded. Whilst only Roberto Carlos had featured in the ECL final in the previous four season before this World Cup, they boasted of genuinely big names in Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho. Germany, the losing finalists, had tremendous big game experience in their ranks. With two of Germany teams having appeared in ECL finals, quite a few members of their squad were novices. While that propelled them to the final, it was not enough to carry them to glory.
The highly tactical, Fabio Cannavaro led Italy rose to lift the coveted World Cup in 2006 defeating the ZInedine Zidane led France. In a game that ended on penalties after Zinedine received his marching orders for the all infamous head butt on Matterazzi, Italy would not be denied. This coincided with a rich period of Italian clubs, they had won it twice and appeared in the ECL finals twice in four seasons, with Juventus battling Milan in one of the finals. France also boasted of seasoned ECL performers in Thierry Henry, Zinedine Zidane, Dhorasoo, Givet, Trezeguet and Lilian Thuram. However, with their talisman seeing red the challenge proved too much for he solid French team.
Tiki-Taka led the way in 2010. The effect of Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona echoed all the way to Spain’s victory over perennial under-achievers, The Netherlands. Barcelona had lifted the ECL over Manchester United in 2009. Five of the starters in that final started in South Africa. Two more Barcelona players joined them and the Dutch could not keep them at bay for 120 minutes with Iniesta prodding in the winner in extra time. The Dutch weren’t novices either, they boasted of Wesley Sneidjer, Robin van Perse, Dirk Kuyt, Arjen Robben who had featured in ECL finals and knew how to play big games. They battled and came short.
It had been too long without the Germany machine rumbling to glory. They did so over Messi’s Argentina in 2014. Messi and Di Maria are the only Argentines who had featured in ECL finals in the build up to 2014, however, Argentina was loaded with talent. Bayern Munich, the major contributor to the Germany national team, had been to two of the four finals leading up to this tournament. It was a heavily experienced side with only three players who hadn’t played in an ECL final before this World Cup. In a closely balanced game, Götze rose from the bench to destroy the Argentines in extra time.
Having recapped, do you think the Uefa Champions League is a precursor to the World Cup. Is the evidence sufficient to convict the Champions League of influencing the World Cup? While it was subtle in the beginning, the effect of experience in the Champions League is becoming more and more defined as time goes. The previous three World Cup winners boasted of tremendous experience in the Champions League. With Real Madrid dominating in the build up to this World Cup, who then is favourites to lift it in 2018?
The Champions League sit on the crest of club football. The World Cup is also at the apex of
football tournaments albeit for nations. The argument on which one is at the top attracts vehement debates from football lovers world over.
Viewership for both finals in 2014 strongly suggests that the World Cup calls the shots, with 3,2 billion viewers as opposed to 1,9 million viewers for the Champions League. Do numbers tell the whole story? You decide.The Champions League is an annual event whilst the World Cup is a four-year event. Is the comparison even fair? Factoring in that one is club based where player loyalty can shift seasonally while for the other the pool of player selection isn’t as flexible, maybe comparing the two is an extreme unnecessity for the passionate football lovers to engage in.
While the analysts deliberate on trends and fashions as this article purposes to do. The relationship between the Champions League and the World Cup is always fascinating to ponder on. It is rare for star players in The Champions League not to be involved in the World Cup. Think of Ryan Giggs, George Weah and Abedi Pele as one of the few high profile players in The Champions League to miss out on the World Cup. Both tournaments attract the best, not only of Europe but of the whole world. The pull of Europe’s mega clubs is irresistible for the best of talent and the glamour of the Champions League is an icing that enables it to pool the best into it.
So what relationship does The Champions League have with The World Cup? Is there a trend linking the two together? Let’s look at the past 5 World Cups, Champions League performances per nation and the key players in both tournaments since 1992. Surely, with such a scope we can uncover interesting patterns.
The Champions League as we know it began in 1992. It previously existed as the European Cup which existed predominantly as a knock out competition. Thus for our purposes we start our analysis by looking at the World Cup ’94.
Brazil won the 1994 World Cup after the Italian golden boy, Roberto Baggio missed his penalty in the shootouts. The Brazilians did not boast of many players turning out for huge European sides except for their talisman Romario who was banging goals in for Barcelona. Brazilian flair and their tactical nous carried the day till they reached the final, which they won by pure grit and determination. Azzuri’s big game experience of Maldini, Massaro, Donadoni and Baresi did not spare Italian blushes despite their appearances in two consecutive ECL finals with Milan in 1993-4. Could that experience have been the factor that propelled Italy to the finals?
1998 World Cup saw Brazil lose to France in a humiliating 3-0 drubbing. Zinedine Zidane scoring two identical headers to silence the favourites and lead the hosts to glory in full view of an ecstatic Paris crowd. Brazil, having more than four previous winners in their squad, cruised to the finals but came short. it was France boasting of four ECL final participants in recent seasons that carried the day in overwhelming fashion. Desailly, Karembeu featuring in at least one final each, Zinedine Zidane and Deschamps two consecutive, led the hosts brilliantly to victory.
Brazil came back for glory in Korea-Japan. The Scolari coached giants swaggered their way to lifting the Cup. They took five of their losing finalists in 1998 to the tournament and their continuity was duly rewarded. Whilst only Roberto Carlos had featured in the ECL final in the previous four season before this World Cup, they boasted of genuinely big names in Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho. Germany, the losing finalists, had tremendous big game experience in their ranks. With two of Germany teams having appeared in ECL finals, quite a few members of their squad were novices. While that propelled them to the final, it was not enough to carry them to glory.
The highly tactical, Fabio Cannavaro led Italy rose to lift the coveted World Cup in 2006 defeating the ZInedine Zidane led France. In a game that ended on penalties after Zinedine received his marching orders for the all infamous head butt on Matterazzi, Italy would not be denied. This coincided with a rich period of Italian clubs, they had won it twice and appeared in the ECL finals twice in four seasons, with Juventus battling Milan in one of the finals. France also boasted of seasoned ECL performers in Thierry Henry, Zinedine Zidane, Dhorasoo, Givet, Trezeguet and Lilian Thuram. However, with their talisman seeing red the challenge proved too much for he solid French team.
Tiki-Taka led the way in 2010. The effect of Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona echoed all the way to Spain’s victory over perennial under-achievers, The Netherlands. Barcelona had lifted the ECL over Manchester United in 2009. Five of the starters in that final started in South Africa. Two more Barcelona players joined them and the Dutch could not keep them at bay for 120 minutes with Iniesta prodding in the winner in extra time. The Dutch weren’t novices either, they boasted of Wesley Sneidjer, Robin van Perse, Dirk Kuyt, Arjen Robben who had featured in ECL finals and knew how to play big games. They battled and came short.
It had been too long without the Germany machine rumbling to glory. They did so over Messi’s Argentina in 2014. Messi and Di Maria are the only Argentines who had featured in ECL finals in the build up to 2014, however, Argentina was loaded with talent. Bayern Munich, the major contributor to the Germany national team, had been to two of the four finals leading up to this tournament. It was a heavily experienced side with only three players who hadn’t played in an ECL final before this World Cup. In a closely balanced game, Götze rose from the bench to destroy the Argentines in extra time.
Having recapped, do you think the Uefa Champions League is a precursor to the World Cup. Is the evidence sufficient to convict the Champions League of influencing the World Cup? While it was subtle in the beginning, the effect of experience in the Champions League is becoming more and more defined as time goes. The previous three World Cup winners boasted of tremendous experience in the Champions League. With Real Madrid dominating in the build up to this World Cup, who then is favourites to lift it in 2018?
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