New Delhi: It is an issue that has been brought up, time and time again, by the media and fans all around the world, yet there is still no solution to the uncompetitive nature of the Spanish La Liga.
As the years roll by, the gap between both Real Madrid and Barcelona and the rest of the league only gets wider. Rather than fighting it out for first place, the other 18 teams in the league are essentially playing for the third place in the table.
Both clubs are so strong financially that other teams can only look on with envy. Both Real Madrid and Barcelona have set up a framework which will seemingly guarantee them success in the years to come. The likes of Sevilla and Valencia are just no way near the Madrids and the Barcas of the recent time.
Through their huge fan bases, regular Champions League football and vastly bloated, individually-negotiated TV deals, Real Madrid and Barcelona have outgrown their environment. And the disparity in revenues is having a clear knock-on effect on both the quality and competitiveness of the La Liga.
With all the world class players dreaming of joining Barca and Madrid, surely it's a worrying time for the other teams. Sergio Aguero, David Silva, Diego Forlan, Luis Fabiano, Juan Mata and David de Gea have all left Spain in search for silverware abroad, and those of a certain calibre that do stick around invariably levitate to the top. David Villa and Sergio Canales are two such cases in point.
Former Real Madrid director general Jorge Valdano has even gone to an extent of saying that Barcelona and Real Madrid will abandon La Liga for a European league if their dominance of La Liga continues. For once we do not understand the concept of the "European League" that is being suggested. Don't we already have the Champions League?
To expect such teams to play outside of their domestic league would in itself suggest that both clubs are no longer Spanish clubs, but international clubs, with the sole purpose of achieving football domination? And the idea itself is far removed from any sense of history, passion or love for the game.
Indeed, something needs to be done about the lack of competition for the top spot in Spain. The two Spanish giants lost just six games between them last season and third place Valencia finished 25 points behind champions Barcelona.
The clubs closest to closing the gap, like Villarreal, Valencia and Sevilla need to lead by adopting new playing styles that better suit Barcelona and Real Madrid's play.
This season they won their opening match by a combined 11-0 and the gap between the Barca and Real and the rest of the league is likely to get bigger. One thing for sure is that if the things continue the way they are then for sure in coming years fans will lose interest in La Liga which at the moment is seen as better than the EPL just because of the number of stars they possess.
At least in the EPL there are five to six teams who are vying for the top spot and it is more enteratining to see than the Spanish League. Neutrals around the world don't even bother watching Spanish matches apart from those involving Real and Barca.
La Liga has just become a competition to see who out of Madrid or Barca can score the most goals, or drop the least points. It's seriously a worrying time for the league and a solution is a must because Real Madrid and Barcelona need the other eighteen teams as much as the eighteen teams need them.
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