Let’s take a closer look at what’s going on in the French topflight and the team that dominates it: PSG. It’s a useful comparison with the Spanish case.
Because, although neither the French nor the Spanish want to hear it, the truth is that the leagues in France and Spain are similar. Very similar.
In France, the physical commitment is higher, in Spain there is a plus in technique, but both leagues are perfectly latin. Latin, that is: they rely on talent and organization. There’s no lack of fantasy or systems of play. There are playing philosophies and they last for decades. France and Spain were great empires, their great footballers have roots in Africa and Latin America in particular. They are the consequences of history, such as it has been.
Nor is it an accident that France is the reigning world champion and Spain had a period between 2008 and 2012 when they simply won everything.
The Spanish top league also had until recently the best players of the last decade and a half, Messi and Ronaldo. Since the two greats have left, the league is significantly weaker. Sure, Lewandowski (who should have at least a Ballon d’Or in his list of won trophies) came and Benzema (who just won the Ballon d’Or) didn’t leave, but it’s not the same at all.
You’ve got three big teams – Real, Barcelona and Atletico, and a host of other teams that can give anyone problems (led by Sevilla, Valencia, Betis, Sociedad and Bilbao).
And in France you have three big teams – PSG, Lyon, and Marseille. But also a number of teams making justified claims (this season Lens, Rennes and the surprise Lorient). And Monaco and Lille would always finish in the top ten in Spain too. And the French and Spanish have excellent junior and youth centers. There are few countries that can compare with France and Spain when it comes to nurturing young talent.
A question of cultural DNA
However, something is different. Something fundamentally different. No matter how easy it is at home and no matter how much they spend, even with a squad featuring Messi, Mbappé, Neymar Jr. or Sergio Ramos, PSG fail to win the big European trophy. And this inability reflects badly on the entire championship.
By contrast, Real Madrid win the Champions League even when nobody gives them a chance. It’s the competition where they feel most at home, where you can best see how much tradition matters. It’s a question of cultural DNA. Real Madrid is a team that lives by winning – the past plays on their side. At PSG – no. And it takes decades and decades to build such a belief that your place is above it all. It exists in Madrid, but in Paris – no. For now.
When playing in Europe, Real Madrid play alongside a glorious history that cannot be betrayed. And that, too, spills over into the entire championship. It’s all connected, it all ties together.
Real Madrid has had a dream October, has broken away in La Liga, has the best footballer in the world (Benzema – Ballon d’Or), the best goalkeeper (Courtois), the best coach in the world (Ancelotti). It has had no less than four players in the top ten in the Ballon d’Or ranking (Vinicius, Modric, Courtois, Benzema)! PSG has particularly accumulated disappointments. There is always a ‘’will follow’’ sentiment.
But the beauty of football is that every time a next stage follows. And everything can change, including the way domestic leagues are influenced by developments on the intra-European stage.
From Madrid to Paris, the story is written match after match, after match, after match…
