Long before now, low competitive leagues like French Ligue 1 has been described as farmers league.
Many sports lovers especially fans of Spanish Laliga clubs and fans of English premier league clubs have positioned the league above other leagues and sometimes describe leagues other than Laliga and English premier league as “farmers’ league.
However, the story appears to be taking a new dimension following the recently signed contract between Leo Messi (former Barcelona player) and French’s Paris Saint-German.
It’s no longer news that Argentine star, and six times winner of Balon d’Or, Leo Messi has parted way with his longtime Spanish club, Barcelona, and has since joined a new club in France. Messi joined Paris saint German and reunite with his then Barcelona colleague, Neymar Jr.
Coincidentally, Leo Messi’s move to PSG came few weeks after his closest football rival, the former captain of Spanish Real Madrid, Sergio Ramos signed for the same club, PSG. This immediate transfer window saw two great players to have left the Spanish Laliga for the French league.
Laliga have been in the position of losing great players to leagues usually described as farmers’ leagues in recent year. Juventus star, Cristiano Ronaldo appears to have been the first in crippling the position of Laliga among other leagues with great players when he left Real Madrid for Juventus in 2019. Laliga wouldn’t have attained a greater position back then, but the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo was a great defeat for the league.
Ronaldo’s transfer to Juventus saw many Laliga fans moved with the star to Italian Seria A. Although, Laliga officials disclosed that despite Ronaldo’s departure, there were significant increases in its broadcast deals over the summer, with spikes domestically (15 percent) and internationally (30 percent) compared to what it used to be in the past three seasons, with almost €5 billion guaranteed from international rights over five seasons by MediaPro.
Yet, the Spanish league seems to be afoot mat for English Premier League’s bonanza broadcasting deals, and in terms of revenue, the Premier League is said to be 86 percent greater than Laliga, according to data gathered by Deloitte.
…Before the departure of Ronaldo to Juventus and subsequently Messi and Ramos’ move to PSG;
Football then has been described as to a great extent by the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry. Both players until the year Modric won for his show with Croatia and Real Madrid, have dominated the Ballon d’Or awards. Their qualities, energy, and incredible goal-scoring records have made Spanish La Liga a compelling battleground, and have inspired each other on and on.
No league but Laliga has produced Ballon d’Or winners since 2008. Unlike La Liga, barely French Ligue 1 and English Premier League made into Ballon d’Or finalists in those few years.
The English Premier League hasn’t, for example, had a Ballon d’Or winner since Ronaldo won the award as a Manchester United player in 2008, which was the last time the league ever had a player to have that award.
Certainly, the absence of Messi and Ronaldo would see that quality diminish in the Laliga. It’s out of no question to say, that Ballon d’Or will no longer be a property of only Laliga. The ascribed farmers’ leagues are already getting the orientation from former presumed “modern league”, as such the old narration may change in due time.
What becomes of PSG with great players and the effect it will have on the league (Ligue 1)? Which league do we now describe as farmers? I think the questions will be best answered as events unfold during the season.
