The Premier League’s Europa League Problem
By Ryan Wrenn
Three teams in the Premier League will have the misfortune of qualifying for the UEFA Europa League this season. ‘Misfortune’ might seem like an odd way to describe it, but Europe’s secondary international competition increasingly feels less like a reward for fine play and more like a consolation prize. UEFA’s desire for all-inclusiveness is admirable. It gives teams from Europe’s smaller leagues a chance to shine and grow. In the ultra-competitive Premier League though, it’s quickly wearing out its welcome.
Typically Europa League spots go to fifth place and those teams that win cup competitions. If the cup winners also qualify for the Champions League, then their Europa spots go to the sixth and seventh place teams. Chelsea’s victory in the Capital One Cup and Arsenal’s favored status for the FA Cup leave Liverpool, Tottenham and Southampton stuck in the lurch.
The reason these three teams will likely see this as a burden is simple: the Europa League is not the Champions League. Each of these teams had either set out for Champions League qualification or were at some point thought to be guaranteed it. Shifting fortunes, whether their own or their competition’s, have made that outcome unlikely. Southampton are the only team among them that might be said to be overachieving. Given the surprising heights they reached earlier this season, though, they will join Liverpool and Spurs in being nonplussed.
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Failing to qualify for the Champions League isn’t simply about pride. There is a very real difference in the material benefits, both direct and indirect. From a prize standpoint, the Europa League stands to pay its ultimate champion less (about €10 million) than simply accessing the initial group stage of the Champions League (at least €12 million). Such a wide gulf makes sense for a competition meant for Europe’s relatively poor minnows. Liverpool and Spurs, though, have spent millions attempting to reach the Champions League again. Falling short of qualifying makes that a failed investment.
Of course, Liverpool and Spurs, and even Southampton, aren’t going to be sent to administration without that prize money. The real pain comes from a player retention and recruitment standpoint. A look at Tottenham and Gareth Bale is the perfect example. The Welshman left Spurs in 2013 after the team fell just short of a Champions League spot for the third year running. The record transfer fee they earned from the sale could only go so far though. Without being able to promise Champions League play, Spurs were unable to draw from the same pool of upper-tier players as bigger clubs. Rather than signing Mesut Özil or Fernandinho, Spurs recruited half a dozen good-but-not-great players, players that have only kept them as also-rans for the past two seasons.
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Among the more frequent complaints are about Europa League scheduling. With Champions League fixtures dominating televisions Tuesday and Wednesday nights, Europa League games are relegated to Thursdays. These regular midweek games strain already shallow team depth charts. More importantly, if you believe the managers searching for excuses, the close proximity of Europa League games to the weekend hurt performances. The numbers might bear this out. The 1.3 points per game in EPL matches following Europa League fixtures Spurs earned this season is significantly less than their season average of 1.72.
Among their losses this season after Europa League games was the Capital One Final against Chelsea. With that said, the Spurs were similarly consigned to the Europa League in 2011-12 and won all of their Premier League matches following Thursday games. Considering the inverse was true for fellow Europa League participants Everton this season, this particular argument seems a little soft.
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Nevertheless, there’s little doubt that an uncluttered schedule would suit most teams competing for Champions League qualification. An underwhelming performance in 2013-14 kept Manchester United out of all European competitions this season. Despite a spate of injuries and the growing pains of a rebuilt squad, United now sit third, virtually assured a Champions League place. It is with envy that Spurs and other teams fated to join Europe’s lesser league look upon United’s unexpected good fortune this season.
UEFA’s generosity goes too far in England. Smaller leagues in Europe would benefit much more from participation in the Europa League. Of course, television revenue is the primary driving force behind the allocation of spots within the competition. The Premier Leagues’ immense viewership guarantee that UEFA will want its teams overrepresented in Europe. Unfortunately, there’s little recourse. With UEFA coefficients determining seeding and Champions League spot allocation, declining the invitation or tanking are impractical ideas at best.
Spurs, Liverpool, and Southampton’s Europa League participation will make it difficult to improve next season. Spurs and Liverpool’s underwhelming recent recruiting efforts will need to improve. A deeper, more balanced squad allows for a healthy rotation that should limit the perceived effect the competition has on domestic performance. Southampton might be expected to attempt Everton’s route to Champions League qualification rather than mount a serious challenge for the top four. Their remarkable ability to unearth hidden gems in the transfer market might allow for a second consecutive season of punching above their weight however.
In any case, the Europa League is not a death sentence. Faced with little other options, teams should ring what benefits they can out of the competition.