Zürcher Nachrichten - Europe's super elite teach English clubs a Champions League lesson

Only Arsenal, the Premier League leaders, and Liverpool -- the English team with the richest history in Europe -- reached the quarter-finals.

Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur were sent packing. But does this really merit calling into question the standard of the Premier League?

England's top flight is easily the richest in Europe, with domestic and international broadcasting rights revenues dwarfing the rest.

A report last month by UEFA showed television revenue for English top-flight clubs increased by 1.5 billion euros ($1.77 billion) from 2014-2024 -- the combined figure for the rest of Europe was almost the same.

Fifteen of the 30 richest clubs in analysts Deloitte's latest Football Money League are English.

However, three of the four English teams eliminated in the last 16 this week lost to clubs with larger revenues.

The exception was Tottenham, but they are having a dreadful season and so losing 7-5 on aggregate to Atletico Madrid was no surprise.

City, champions in 2023, lost 5-1 on aggregate to Real Madrid, the record 15-time European Cup winners and the only club with revenue over one billion euros in Deloitte's latest table.

Chelsea were crushed 8-2 on aggregate by reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain, while Newcastle lost 8-3 overall against Barcelona.

There have only been three occasions since 1955 in which an English team has conceded at least eight goals on aggregate in a European tie, two of them this week.

England's strength in depth is unrivalled, and shown by the presence of an unprecedented six sides in the last 16.

- Higher revenues, better players? -

But this level is also the territory of a small band of giant continental clubs perhaps not subject to the same levels of competitiveness in their domestic leagues.

The four clubs with the highest revenue in Europe last year were Real, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and PSG -- they generate more money than anyone in England, and enjoy huge financial advantages over domestic rivals.

Nineteen of the last 21 Spanish titles have been won by Madrid or Barcelona. Over the same period the duo have won a combined 10 Champions Leagues.

Qatar-owned PSG have won 11 of the last 13 French championships and won their first Champions League last year after one final appearance and two semi-finals in the preceding five seasons.

Bayern, who hammered Atalanta 10-2 on aggregate this week, are set for a 13th Bundesliga title in 14 years.

They are also now almost always in the Champions League quarter-finals, and next face Real in a mouthwatering tie.

For all the Premier League's pulling power, few match-ups have the same appeal as that impending confrontation.

"Both clubs are giant," said Bayern coach Vincent Kompany.

Bayern have been helped by a strategy of signing a big Premier League name in each of the last three seasons: Harry Kane, Michael Olise and Luis Diaz.

Kane's status as England's leading player is maybe threatened only by Jude Bellingham, who was joined last year at Real by Trent Alexander-Arnold, lured from Liverpool.

PSG boast Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele, and in Khvicha Kvaratskhelia they have a player who has terrorised English defences over the last year.

"In the Premier League, we don't have Dembele, (Desire) Doue, (Bradley) Barcola and Kvaratskhelia," said Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior. "They're an outstanding team."

They are also youthful like Barcelona, who are once more leaning heavily on their academy, La Masia -- their average age against Newcastle was barely 25, and in 18-year-old Lamine Yamal they have the emerging global footballing superstar.

"La Masia did a fantastic job there," purred Barca coach Hansi Flick.

Those clubs may be best equipped to dominate in Europe, while Liverpool and Arsenal fly the flag for England which has provided only three of the last 13 continental champions.

But the Premier League will be there en masse again next year -- it is on course to have five qualifying spots via the league and may again have a sixth if Aston Villa or Nottingham Forest win the Europa League.

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