Has La Liga Declined?

Managing Madrid Podcast

As we move further from the era defined by Ronaldo and Messi’s rivalry, La Liga’s status among Europe’s top 5 leagues gets increasingly questioned by the day. While Real Madrid dominate, win, sign Kylian Mbappes and routinely beat the Premier League’s best to superstar players, the rest of Spain is rarely as cohesive. This episode of the Managing Madrid podcast dives deep into the current state of Spain’s top flight, examining both its recent resurgence since the lows of the pandemic and ongoing challenges.

1. Spain’s Euro victory this summer with a young team made infinitely better by great coaching and enhanced by a cohesive national footballing culture.

2. The dominance of coaches like Arteta and Guardiola in the Premier League

3. Spain’s overall European record even in a ‘down spell’ these past 4 years.

All these things illustrate how Spanish football’s culture remains utterly dominant in world football. However, the lack of purchasing power relative to the Premier League creates issues as well.

Special guest La Liga Systems is here to defend Spanish football from its detractors.

We explore the league’s financial health (cost controls, profitability), innovative tactical approaches, and an exciting new generation of talent emerging from club academies. At the same time, we critically assess issues like diminishing purchasing power relative to the Premier League, the struggle to retain rising stars, and the lack of high quality strikers.

From Girona’s progressive model to Real Madrid’s enduring European dominance, we analyze the teams that are likely to move the needle for La Liga’s stature going forward. We also discuss the focus on youth development thanks to cost controls, evolving coaching philosophies, and how the league’s culture remains mature relative to peers in Europe.

Join us for an nuanced look at whether La Liga has declined or simply transformed, as we weigh its current strengths against the golden age of the 2010s. This episode offers valuable insights for fans, analysts, and anyone interested in the trajectory of one of world football’s most storied leagues.

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Hosts this week:

Siddharth Ramsundar (@TacticalFouling)

Vishal - La Liga Systems (@janufooty)

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