LABOURING UNDER THE MONOPOLY DELUSION

Stranglehold, many were being led to believe, is what the Football Association’s third Champions League title in five years would have meant, which UEFA bigwigs in Nyon would supposedly have viewed as clear and present danger. Europe’s best domestic league (according to UEFA’s coefficient system) had a vice-like grip on the continent’s showpiece event, and didn’t look like letting go in a hurry.

But that was before Wednesday night. Lionel Messi’s magnetic control and electric pace, Samuel Eto’o’s clinical finishing, and the mastery of Xavi and Andres Iniesta in midfield simply mesmerised Manchester United as Barcelona took home the trophy they had last won in 2006. For the fourth season in succession, an English side returned from the final as also-rans (of course, both sides were English last year). Where, then, is the stranglehold?

True, every final in the last five seasons has featured at least one English club. True, 12 of the 20 semi-final slots in those seasons went to English teams. Such erstwhile behemoths of Europe as Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Juventus and Inter Milan no longer found themselves favourites against opposition from that little island off the coast of France. Only Barca and AC Milan have prevented an English whitewash in this half of the decade, and even they have found themselves at the receiving end on some occasions, and depended on third-party (read refereeing) ineptitude on others.

Then again, if this is a stranglehold, how would one describe the sheer invincibility of the Real of the Fifties and the Dutch, German and English sides of the period from 1970 to 1984? These teams, built on the individual brilliance of men like Alfredo di Stefano, Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller and Kenny Dalglish, represent the zenith of dominance, of greatness, of monopoly. Having said that, John Bull’s veritable omnipresence in the Champions League definitely merits some applause – and closer examination.

Obvious immediately is the fact that the so-called English dominance has managed only two titles in the last five editions, whereas the great teams aforesaid won at least three European Cups back-to-back. The current scenario is therefore not one of dominance but of simultaneous development. Things have just been turning out for the English Premier League’s Big Four as they would have liked them to. United’s strike force – deadly as ever, and a lot more mature – has been complemented exceedingly well by a solid back four and a dependable man in goal. Chelsea used Roman Abramovich’s millions to add the likes of Didier Drogba, Claude Makelele, Michael Essien, Petr Cech and Nicolas Anelka to a side already in possession of John Terry and Frank Lampard. Rafa Benitez brought to Liverpool not just his experience of winning but also a string of Spanish signings – players who teamed up with Steven Gerrard to breathe new life into the Reds. And Arsenal, who have slipped somewhat at home, have done well in Europe of late, thanks to a bunch of talented youngsters who have proved to be capable successors to Thierry Henry, Robert Pires and Patrick Vieira.

While the Big Four have used this period to consolidate themselves, clubs elsewhere have lost much of the advantage they held at the turn of the century. Real, Juventus, Inter and Lazio had signed their most expensive players between 1999 and 2002, when spiralling television rights sales had fuelled a “transfer bubble”. But the bubble soon burst and the superstars of the period gradually faded into oblivion. It’s no coincidence that Real have been knocked out in the last 16 in each of the last five seasons, the latest defeat coming at the hands of Liverpool in a 5-0 aggregate drubbing. The absence of Juventus, Milan and Bayern Munich from the competition on four occasions altogether in this period has also been an added bonus.

But despite all that has gone right for the EPL’s leaders, their task remains only half done, as Barca proved quite authoritatively on Wednesday. Depending less on big-money signings and more on home-grown talent and intelligent scouting, the Catalans showed why they deserve their numero uno status on UEFA’s rankings. Whether the Big Four, all of whom look set to qualify for next season’s group stage yet again, can go back to the drawing board and come up with plans to neutralise Barca’s prowess remains to be seen. Until then, the stranglehold will be but an illusion.

(Published by The Shillong Times dated 31 May 2009)