What was the best era for both quality and competitiveness?

[Physiocrat]

This has got zero traction in the mains so thought the Super League of the Caf maybe interested.

The whole ESL stuff has got me thinking how to improve the competitiveness of European football without harming the overall quality. So I thought a good way to think this through is to look at historical examples which married both.

After a cursory glance, it seems like 1980s Serie A is one of the best. There was 6 different winners of Serie A in the 1980s whilst the league sported the likes of Zico, Falcao, Platini and Maradona.

Does anyone else have any good examples?

 

[P-Nut]

This has got zero traction in the mains so thought the Super League of the Caf maybe interested.

The whole ESL stuff has got me thinking how to improve the competitiveness of European football without harming the overall quality. So I thought a good way to think this through is to look at historical examples which married both.

After a cursory glance, it seems like 1980s Serie A is one of the best. There was 6 different winners of Serie A in the 1980s whilst the league sported the likes of Zico, Falcao, Platini and Maradona.

Does anyone else have any good examples?

2010s premier league isn't too far behind

 

[Gio]

A couple of other suggestions:

• La Liga 1998-2002: 4 different league winners in 4 different seasons (which is basically more than in the 20 years since). In 99/00 each of the top three lost 10 or more games during the season showing the competitiveness of the league. But not reflecting poor quality because 3 of the 4 Champions League semi-finalists were Spanish, and eventual league winners Deportivo weren't even in the CL.
• La Liga 1980-1984: every title separated by a point or less, a couple of seasons even 3 teams had a chance of winning on the final day, the best sides losing 7-8 games a season, and neither of the big two winning anything between '80 and '85.

 

[Physiocrat]

A couple of other suggestions:

• La Liga 1998-2002: 4 different league winners in 4 different seasons (which is basically more than in the 20 years since). In 99/00 each of the top three lost 10 or more games during the season showing the competitiveness of the league. But not reflecting poor quality because 3 of the 4 Champions League semi-finalists were Spanish, and eventual league winners Deportivo weren't even in the CL.
• La Liga 1980-1984: every title separated by a point or less, a couple of seasons even 3 teams had a chance of winning on the final day, the best sides losing 7-8 games a season, and neither of the big two winning anything between '80 and '85.

Those are a great collection of examples. La Liga was great in the late 90s/early 00s

 

[harms]

Serie A of the 80’s is the best combination of quality & competition in my opinion.

2010s premier league isn't too far behind

2010’s? I think that the quality was lacking a bit. United were in decline, Chelsea weren’t truly great even in their best years, Leicester’s story was great but they really weren’t good enough to win a league in a truly competitive season... City/Liverpool had managed to reach a very good level at the end of it, but the rest of the league was shit.

In Europe the results were also not too great. Chelsea’s win was a complete fluke & only Liverpool winner that looked like the best team in Europe* when they’ve won theirs.

* or second best, but behind City, so this would still be an English team.

 

[P-Nut]

Serie A of the 80’s is the best combination of quality & competition in my opinion.


2010’s? I think that the quality was lacking a bit. United were in decline, Chelsea weren’t truly great even in their best years, Leicester’s story was great but they really weren’t good enough to win a league in a truly competitive season... City/Liverpool had managed to reach a very good level at the end of it, but the rest of the league was shit.

In Europe the results were also not too great. Chelsea’s win was a complete fluke & only Liverpool winner that looked like the best team in Europe* when they’ve won theirs.

* or second best, but behind City, so this would still be an English team.

Yeah true, wasn't really considering quality just the different winners.

 

[Physiocrat]

Does anyone know what the foreigner rule was for Serie A in the 80s?

 

[GodShaveTheQueen]

Does anyone know what the foreigner rule was for Serie A in the 80s?

I think there was no quota. As many as you wish.

I might be wrong.

"The old rulings limited the number of non-EU players under contract at one club to a maximum of five and the number of non-EU players used in a league match to three."

 

[Physiocrat]

I think there was no quota. As many as you wish.

That's surprising. I thought they had one back then. I only thought it was removed after the Bosman ruling

 

[GodShaveTheQueen]

That's surprising. I thought they had one back then. I only thought it was removed after the Bosman ruling

Yea I think you are right

 

[harms]

Does anyone know what the foreigner rule was for Serie A in the 80s?

2 foreigners in the squad. That’s why Juve sold Brady (to make room for Platini), and that’s why they’ve loaned Laudrup immediately after signing him (as they’ve had both Platini & Boniek).

They later expanded the limit to 3, I think, allowing the Dutch trio & Klinsmann/Matthäus/Brehme to feature. And then there was a Bosman ruling that helped out a lot.

 

[Enigma_87]

You need to get rid of super teams in order to have competitive football again.
Salary cap. Foreigners rule, cap transfer sums.

80's and 90's were generally the most competitive examples although the late 80's were heavily influenced by Heysel unfortunately.

 

[Physiocrat]

2 foreigners in the squad. That’s why Juve sold Brady (to make room for Platini), and that’s why they’ve loaned Laudrup immediately after signing him (as they’ve had both Platini & Boniek).

They later expanded the limit to 3, I think, allowing the Dutch trio & Klinsmann/Matthäus/Brehme to feature. And then there was a Bosman ruling that helped out a lot.

Cool. Thanks for the info. I thought it would have been around 3 as that is what I remember from La Liga in the early 90s.

You need to get rid of super teams in order to have competitive football again.
Salary cap. Foreigners rule, cap transfer sums.

80's and 90's were generally the most competitive examples although the late 80's were heavily influenced by Heysel unfortunately.

In what way did Heysel influence the football on the pitch?

I am sceptical of financial constraints in football as I don't think they are easily enforced as compared with the NBA. I think foreigner rules and heavier restrictions on squad size and bench numbers are the way to go. More directly related football constraints are much more difficult to get around than financial ones

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

Should the criteria be Champions League rather than domestic? We get a more holistic view of overall competitiveness.

Probably 1995-2002. Or even 1990-95.

 

[Physiocrat]

Should the criteria be Champions League rather than domestic? We get a more holistic view of overall competitiveness.

Probably 1995-2002. Or even 1990-95.

That's not a bad idea but quite a bit harder to assess as we would have to look at the UEFA Cup, European Cup and Cup Winners Cup in the pre-98 era (I think 98 was when runners up entered the Champions League)

 

[Physiocrat]

Should the criteria be Champions League rather than domestic? We get a more holistic view of overall competitiveness.

Probably 1995-2002. Or even 1990-95.

I had a look at both the European Cup and UEFA Cup and you are essentially right, although you could include the late 80s too. Interestingly though domestically the competitiveness of the leagues are lower in Serie A. Only Milan and Juve won the title in Italy. The Bundesliga is highly competitive in the 90s and La Liga had 4 winners if you include Deportivo in 99/00. It seems the best football period was between something like 1986 and 2006. Probably better to watch after three points for a win, better protection for attackers and the introduction of the back pass rule.

 

[Physiocrat]

Just talked to my mum and she reminded me that the 60s was pretty competitive and it was. Some great sides in the European Cup. Also domestically, outside of Spain, there was lots of different winners in England, Italy and Germany.