Share

EPL reigns supreme

London - English Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore insisted Wednesday he was not worried by Spanish "super clubs" Barcelona and Real Madrid buying the world's leading players.

Scudamore, speaking ahead of the start of the new Premier League season this weekend, was adamant the English top flight was a more competitive, and therefore more attractive, product than the Primera Liga for all the global stars on show in Spain.

This season has seen Real Madrid sign James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos after the duo starred at the World Cup, while Barcelona have bolstered their squad, notably in bringing in Uruguay striker Luis Suarez from Liverpool.

Asked how English football might compete with that in Spain, Scudamore told BBC Radio Five: "In one sense, you don't.

"The way the economics of Spanish football work, you've got two clubs who, with the way they sell their television rights, they're allowed to sell their own, and they clean up and they make more money than any of our clubs do," he added.

"Our clubs, even our biggest clubs, have stuck with the collective which means we have a collective selling of TV rights. It's then distributed, and therefore every club has a chance to compete.

"Whilst they do have two super clubs that have always attracted some of the world's top talent -- remember (Zinedine) Zidane didn't come here, Luis Figo didn't come here -- we have the most competitive league."

Scudamore added: "There are more teams being talked about as able to win our title than you'll ever hear discussed in Spain.

"That makes us more interesting around the world. We have a much bigger global appeal than they do currently."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1272 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1469 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2240 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE