The results of the Champions League round of 16 highlight the dominance of Spanish clubs over their English counterparts
La Liga takes centre stage in Europe and sends a strong message to the continent: Spain is very much here.Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid have secured a sensational clean sweep against the Premier League in the Champions League round of 16,with an overwhelming aggregate score of 20–9 across the three ties, as highlighted by a triumphant headline in*Marca*. The Champions League is speaking Spanish once again.
THE SPANISH MODEL
The results of the Spanish clubs, following this clean sweep against the Premier League, redefine the European hierarchy,at least for this season: the quarter-finals will feature three Spanish clubs and two English ones (out of the five that had reached the last 16). Now, it is true thatReal Madrid and Barcelona are the two clubs with the highest turnover in the world, with Real at 1.161 billion and Barça at 975 million, whilst Atlético Madrid is 13th (455 million),but if we compare the two leagues and the two football systems – the Spanish and the English –on the parameter that matters most, that of TV rights, we see that the Premier League earns €1.91 billion per season for the 2025–2031 cycle, whilst La Liga earns €990 million per seasonfor the 2022–2027 cycle.This is slightly more than Serie A (€900 million per season for the 2024–2029 cycle) and less than the Bundesliga (€1.06 billion per season for the 2025–2029 cycle).
This is to say that whilst some may prioritise TV rights revenue to highlight the vast gulf in quality and results between English and Italian football,La Liga demonstrates that TV rights money isn’t everything, and that it is possible to have great clubs, a great league and success in Europe even without the kind of TV revenue the Premier League generates.A successful and virtuous model can be built in other ways too, using other resources.