Big League Money threatening quality of competition in Champions League

With the UEFA Champions League group stage in the books, AGONAsport takes a closer look at Olympiacos’ performances against the odds and what the future holds for Greek clubs in the competition.

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It’s been well documented by now that Olympiacos secured a 1-0 win over Red Star Belgrade on the final day of UEFA Champions League group stage action to clinch a berth in the UEFA Europa League Round of 32.

The Piraeus giants ended a long losing skid in the competition to ensure their European campaign would continue after the winter break, and the achievement itself is quite impressive considering the club’s squad value compared to their Group B rivals.

According to German website Transfermarkt.com, Olympiacos own the third-lowest squad value in the competition at an estimated worth of € 89.3M. Only fellow Group B rivals Red Star Belgrade (€ 63.5M) and tournament debutants Slavia Prague (€ 51.7M) have a lower estimated squad value as leagues like the Super League continue to fall behind the pace set by Europe’s top leagues.

Olympiacos’ squad value is a stark contrast to those of Bayern Munich and Tottenham as both clubs are estimated to have squads valued at € 882.7M and € 959.5M respectively. According to Transfermarkt.com, English Champions Manchester City have the highest estimated squad value at € 1.3B while Liverpool (€ 1.18B), Barcelona (€ 1.18B), and Paris Saint-Germain (€ 1.05B) are the only other clubs to have an estimated value greater and one billion dollars.

It’s a trend that has gotten worse in recent years and one that shows no signs of slowing down. The rich deals available to top clubs from Europe’s top leagues continue to widen the gap from the rest of Europe and it’s getting to a point where European football might never be the same.

The composition of the clubs to advance from the group stage is another telling sign of the shift towards Europe’s elite as all 16 sides in the Round of 16 are from Europe’s top five leagues: England, Spain, Italy, Germany, and France.

UEFA have already announced the creation of a new tournament to act as the third tier of European competition behind the Champions League and the Europa League, while rumours around a closed competition for Europe’s top clubs continue to swirl.

For now, though, it’s the Champions League that remains the target for Europe’s top clubs lucky enough to qualify each year, but it remains to be seen just how far some of the more modest clubs can go in the competition.

Image Source: to10.gr

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