Jorge Sampaoli’s Sevilla strengthen La Liga case as the world’s best league

There is a lot to be said for La Liga, given that the world’s biggest stars almost exclusively ply their trade there on a weekly basis, but, like anything in soccer, Spanish football has its fair share of criticisms.

No arguments can be made against the game in terms of success, both domestically and internationally. Spain are not the first country to enjoy a purple patch, nor will they be the last, but no one has ever enjoyed such domination as LaLiga and La Roja have since the turn of the century.

In 2012, at the very height of their powers, the Spanish national team completed the ‘triplete’, an unprecedented haul of two European Championships and a World Cup triumph.

On the club scene since 2000, no one country has seen more finalists in continental competition, with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid often dwarfing opponents in the Champions League and Europa League.

"Many would place LaLiga at the very top of the list as the best league in soccer, but the Premier League has a loyal following, too. The arguments usually centre around entertainment, competitiveness, technical ability and, as already mentioned, level of success. Fans of the Spanish game point to the latter while those who prefer the game in England claim the former."

The main idea some have of La Liga is that it lacks an unpredictability often associated with the Premier League because of Barcelona and Real Madrid’s respective financial clout. Yet this can be broken down simply, first by suggesting those clubs would rule as easily as they do in Spain, and secondly by pointing to the rise of Atletico, who won the title for the first time in 18 years under Diego Simeone in 2014.

La Liga’s strength runs deeper, though, and that is clear without taking into account the traditional ‘big two’ constantly struggling when visiting the likes of Real Sociedad and Celta Vigo, the likes of whom are so often patronised by onlookers who don’t truly understand their capabilities. Spain houses another remarkable team, one who constantly battle against the odds but could be about to make bigger waves than ever, Sevilla.

Like most clubs below the line of the elite, the Andalusians have had to work under constraints over the years, but much more so than most. Losing their best players has become a regular occurrence, so much so that they have developed a conveyor belt-like business model.

They rely on their remarkable Sporting Director, known as Monchi, to bring in talent to replace those being sold. It has worked well for a long time, helping Sevilla strengthen Spain’s continental reign with the last three Europa League titles, all under a backdrop of financial trouble.

This past summer was no different, the cycle was repeated again. Coach Unai Emery, who led them to all three European victories, departed for Paris Saint-Germain, while Atletico stole in to sign top scorer Kevin Gameiro.

Emery’s replacement was arguably an upgrade in Jorge Sampaoli, an Argentine who rose to fame for his take on the Marcelo Bielsa-inspired high pressing style of play also utilised by the likes of Pep Guardiola and Mauricio Pochettino, when in charge of Chile. It was always thought he would succeed at club level, someone just had to take the gamble. Luckily for him, gambling is Sevilla’s forte.

Incredible energy and unorthodox tactics are the hallmarks of his teams, and his current side are no different. They face Barcelona at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan this weekend having topped the table recently. Currently fourth, they cannot be ruled out, showing monstrous form on home soil despite not winning away at all in the last campaign, only clinching their first this term against Leganes last month. They have already overcome Simeone’s side at home, too.