There is often a debate to be had over which league is the best in football. The Premier League is undoubtedly the most popular, but many would disagree that it is the best – especially when it comes to all aspects of the game.
For instance, in Spain, La Liga is understood to be a highly technical division, capable of producing some brilliant teams and players. For instance, it has been the home of 14 of the past 19 Ballon d'Or winners, dating back to Ronaldinho in 2005.
Of course, it will always be a subjective call when it comes to naming which league is best, but one footballer who has played in both competitions has explained why English football isn't necessarily better; despite the financial advantages.
Kieran Tierney's Loan Move to Real Sociedad
Impressed by La Liga's quality and atmospheres
In the summer of 2023, Scottish fullback Kieran Tierney opted to try something new. Having played in Britain all his career – emerging with Scottish behemoths Celtic and later moving to Premier League giants Arsenal – he moved to Spain.
The left-back has lost his spot in the Gunners starting XI under Mikel Arteta, with the Spaniard preferring Oleksandr Zinchenko due to his ability to invert and offer more quality on the ball in possession. As such, Tierney joined La Liga club Real Sociedad on a season-long loan.
His time overseas would start with real promise. Indeed, his full debut came in a 5-3 win over Granada, after which he was labelled 'exquisite' by manager Imanol Alguacil. After then catching the eye vs Real Madrid, despite suffering a 2-1 defeat, his progress was halted by injury.
Fitness issues had played a key role in his struggles in England and it was his hamstrings which let him down in Spain. Two notable injuries in September and January prevented him from building up any real momentum.
Even so, he ended the campaign with 20 La Liga appearances under his belt, and certainly had a good taste of the division by the end of his loan. With that in mind, he was able to fairly comment on how it differed from the Premier League. When asked if English football is better, he said:
"I don’t think so in such a strong way. Everyone knows that the Premier League has much more money. All clubs competing in that competition can buy footballers for €30m. That’s the big difference. But when it comes to quality, I don’t agree so much, I think La Liga has extraordinary footballers."
It's ironic that Tierney talks about clubs in England being able to spend €30m (£25m) on new transfers because he may have perhaps been able to land a permanent move to Real Sociedad if they had the same finances as an English team. Instead, after one season on loan, he returned to Arsenal.
He also spoke of how the atmosphere in Spain is impressive. He explained:
"The atmosphere here is incredible. In England there are also very good atmospheres. I don’t want to speak badly of the Premier League because it is a great league, the fans are great… But if people watched La Liga more they would realise that it is an incredible competition and that the supporters do too. If you go to play against Osasuna, you see their fans cheering like crazy. Or in Cadiz. And when we [Real Sociedad] play at home, the supporters behind the goals don’t stop singing… it’s great."
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After the semi-successful loan is Spain, Tierney had a chance to further enhance his reputation on a more global stage with Scotland qualifying for Euro 2024. However, during the second game of the tournament in Germany, he suffered another hamstring injury.
Not only did it rule him out of the competition, but it also prevented him from being fit enough to permanently leave Arsenal. As such, he returned to north London but is yet to play for the Gunners in the 2024/25 season due to that familiar fitness issue.
In total, the Scottish defender has spent 794 days out with injuries across the course of his career. That's a remarkable number, especially when you consider he is still only 27 years old. An undoubtedly talented footballer, his career has been derailed by fitness problems.
His time at Arsenal looks to be as good as over, but having experienced and enjoyed Spanish football, Tierney may well be open to moving to another league in Europe in the future. He'll just need to get fit first.
Stats Transfermarkt - as of 11-12-24.