Premier League dominance in Champions League. It is Real!

There are eight teams left in the Champions League – and four of them are English.

That’s right: fully 50% of the teams remaining in Europe’s premier competition come from just the one league. Not since the maximum number of entrants of four per country was introduced has this feat been achieved by anyone except the Premier League, when it occurred last year.

Truly, for it to happen twice in a row signals a change in Europe’s balance of power. Remember: even in 2005-06, when the English provided fully five entrants, only one – Arsenal – made it this far. Now it is not only possible, but in fact probable, that every single side from the Prem will march on until they meet one of their own.

Should they not do so in this round, we entertain the very real possibility that every single one of the semi-finalists will hail from the sceptred isle. UEFA’s power-brokers, and FIFA’s “six-plus-five” homegrown footballer advocates, will gasp in horror, but is it not worth wondering whether or not England deserves its success?

Be The Best, Buy The Best

In short: yes.

It would be churlish to argue that the victories are home-grown, but what is true is that they belong to the Premier League. Whereas once the world’s top talents flocked towards the glitz, glamour, and of course lucre of Italy, England is now the top table for anyone hoping to make it big – and strike it rich. Players will leave top-half sides in Spain in favour of English relegation strugglers, knowing that this is where the money is; Italian sides are more dependent than ever on their home-grown prospects, given that coaxing foreign stars to a peninsula that is looking more financially impotent year on year is proving difficult.

Even Spain, which many discerning Englishmen class as one of attractive football’s spiritual homes, lags behind. Only Real Madrid and Barcelona can match the spending power of the Prem; erstwhile ‘third force’ Valencia are on the verge of a humilating sale of David Villa to Manchester City, according to reports, and not a summer goes by without a couple of Liga stars moving to modest English outfits thanks to the riches on offer. And this spending power is, over the last two seasons, now being matched by victorious performances.

And, whether or not you agree with the orthodox English playing style, the Premier League certainly is attracting the top players – and not just the top four. Aston Villa and Everton, when fielding full-strength sides, would be a match for most on the continent; Arsenal, while requiring penalties to get past a brave Roma outfit, remain a serious contender (again, when fully fit) to reach the final.

That’s Arsenal. As for Chelsea, some would call them lucky to progress – but I’m a firm believer in teams making their own luck, and if Chelsea under Hiddink have a Mourinho-esque ability to grind out results in the face of adversity then, well, congratulations, rather than recriminations, are called for.

As for Liverpool? They didn’t beat Real Madrid. They mauled Real Madrid. They brought the Spanish champions, one of the most fabled names in European competition, well and truly to their knees. As for Inter and their Scudetto, Manchester United were undeniably worthy winners on the pitch – and perhaps off it as well, given Jose Mourinho’s failure to advance with ‘mind-games’ – over the champions of Serie A.

Italy’s wipeout, and Madrid’s humiliation, then, is as much a tale of English success as it is peninsular failure – and some would do well to recognise the fact.

Onward March

Some will complain that Europe is now too imbalanced in favour of one hyper-rich league. These remonstrations, though, should only be taken seriously from those who issued the same complaints when Bayern Munich were smashing all-comers; when Juventus and AC Milan essentially divided the trophy between them; when Real Madrid won it three times in five seasons; when nine seasons out of ten one half of the final two was Italian.

One can – and in fact should – certainly argue against some aspects of the Premier League. The non-existant vetting of owners both foreign and domestic (consider the role of Thaksin Shinawatra in English football – an altogether unsavoury incident that the entire Soho Square hierarchy should be red-faced about, but are not); the propensity for the same conclave of referees to be awarded live, televised fixtures; the absurd situation in which the team finishing bottom of this division is guaranteed more prize money than the champions of Europe. But the market forces cannot be denied, and they have turned England into a juggernaut.

Putting aside the rights and wrongs – and there are plenty of each – the clubs have taken this role and ran with it. They rule Europe. The players should be congratulated. Even if they aren’t, though, they’ll find consolation in the fact that, well, they’re the best, and everyone else is the rest.

Time to get used to the fact!