Can Spanish Clubs Reclaim European Success?

It is not as though Spanish clubs have not made an impression on European competition this season. At the quarter-final stage of the three continental competitions, there was one club in the Champions League and one in the Europa League. La Liga had no representation in the Europa Conference League.

That may not sound too bad but that is well down on previous years – especially if you go back to the all-Spanish finals of a few years ago and Sevilla’s dominance in the Europa League. The best soccer betting sites no longer have La Liga clubs down as favourites. But why is that? And how can things change back to the way they were?

History of Champions

Spain has always provided a steady stream of champions when it comes to European club football. The national side may have been considered an unfulfilled promise until the 2000s, but the club sides enjoyed unrivalled success in almost every continental competition going since the very start.

Real Madrid virtually owned the European Cup in its early years (and their fans would claim they still do) and everyone knows about Sevilla’s Europa League success. But we are now at a point where there could be no La Liga finalists in Europe this season.

All Eras Come to an End

Football works in cycles of course. Spain, England, Italy, and even the Netherlands have all enjoyed periods of dominance in the European Cup/Champions League. It must also be remembered that the winners of the Champions League have come from Spain six out of the last nine years.

But it does feel as though La Liga is not the powerhouse that it was just a few years ago. Serie A is certainly enjoying a much-needed boost on the European stage – and the English Premier League is always well represented. A few years of relative failure for La Liga is probably only to be expected.

Champions League

When it comes to the most prestigious club competition of them all, there will probably always be Spanish clubs in the later stages. Real Madrid were doing well even when Barcelona was dominating the domestic game – and Atletico became a real force a few years ago as well.

Barcelona’s off-field problems have spilt onto the pitch in recent years and have obviously affected their chances. But they should be back in contention soon. For now, it will be Real Madrid that leads the way for La Liga – and that is probably exactly how the club likes it.

Other Competitions

Sevilla has been highlighted as thinking of the Europa League like Real Madrid treats the Champions League. But it has been a troubling season for the club. A quarter-final berth in their favourite competition was won again but they might not even be in the top tier of Spanish football next season.

It is this second-tier of Spanish clubs where some of the problems lie. Real Betis and Real Sociedad both failed to get past the first knockout round of the Europa League and Villarreal floundered at the same stage in the Europa Conference League. Even Barcelona couldn’t navigate their way through their second chance in the Europa League.

What La Liga Needs

Before anyone gets too worried, there is every chance that Spanish clubs will come back stronger next season. There is no worry about the league’s co-efficient rankings, so the same number of clubs will get a chance in Europe. The group stage performances this year also proved that the clubs could more than handle their own against the majority of Europe.

It is, perhaps, at the very highest level where the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and even Atletico will need to improve though. The money that clubs from some other leagues have at their disposal dwarfs even the giants of Spain – that’s why Erling Haaland is at the Etihad rather than the Bernabeu. But top players are always attracted by the history and culture of Real Madrid and Barcelona.

There is no need to panic then. Clubs like Real Sociedad need to become more consistent in Europe, while the big guns will get their chance again. La Liga will rise once more – and everything will be forgotten anyway, if Real Madrid do capture their 15th Champions League title this season.

By Alejandro Fernandez