Football is said to be a subjective sport, but not according to UEFA who classify and rank every European country’s national league according to their international and club performance every year. To understand how the system works and who currently sits at the top, we at Alley Sport bring you the Top 5 Leagues in football according to the latest UEFA Rankings published at the start of this year.
How are the UEFA coefficients calculated?
UEFA coefficients are based on the performance of clubs representing the country in the European Cups during a five year period. During those 5 years, specific points (2 points for a win and 1 point for a draw) are awarded from the group stage of CL, EL, and ECL onwards with bonus points for each knockout stage. The coefficients are then calculated by taking an average, based on the total number of points divided by the total number of clubs of each country. The UEFA country ranking is computed by the sum of coefficients from the last 5 years.
Let’s get to the count down of the top 5 Leagues in Europe according to the latest UEFA rankings!
5. Ligue-1 (France- UEFA Coefficient: 54.081)
This summer all the Ligue 1 headlines were dominated by Paris Saint-Germain and their extravagant spending in the form of humongous wages for star recruits Lionel Messi, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Sergio Ramos. The capture of the Argentinian magician from Barcelona sent shockwaves in the footballing world and brought the French league into the spotlight.
Despite all of its accreditations as a relatively easy league which the Parisians always win, last season showed it’s not all that, as Lille surprised everyone by claiming the trophy. With a number of stars wanting to join up with or face up to the mighty PSG squad, Ligue 1 is slowly but surely growing in stature.
4. Bundesliga (Germany- UEFA Coefficient: 69.641)
The Bundesliga has worked extremely hard in getting itself back to the standard it was a couple of decades ago. New broadcasters, new young stars and a new-found competition to Bayern’s dominance make the Bundesliga one of the most exciting leagues in the world. When you combine this excitement on the pitch with the fanfare, the beautiful stadiums and the lovely weather, it’s no wonder the league makes it to the top 5.
However, it must be said that Germany’s international failings in recent times have severely hampered the B-liga, which even boasts of two of the hottest strikers in Europe at the moment- Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland.
3. Serie A (Italy- UEFA Coefficient: 72.045)
Corruption, racism, hooligans, financial distress and dull football have defined the Serie A in decades gone by. However, the Italian league is slowly reemerging as a global attraction with the two Milan sides finally able to compete with Juventus’ recent dominance.
The Azzurri’s recent Euro triumph has also helped Italian football get back some of the fame it once had. It is finally looking like the Serie A will be able to compete with the finesse and professionalism of the other European leagues, having remodeled itself as an attacking, competitive league.
2. La Liga (Spain- UEFA Coefficient: 89.284)
It might be a surprise to see the Spanish League so high up in the rankings, despite all of their recent financial turmoil. Their two former giants, Real Madrid and Barcelona, have fallen away and can no longer attract the absolute best talent in Europe like it once did. A big saving grace for La Liga has been the fact that Spain have done surprisingly well on the international front, including the Euros this summer.
It remains to be seen if this fallen giant does recover the immense stature and recognition it once had.
1. Premier League (England- UEFA Coefficient: 99.212) Top 5 Leagues in football according to latest UEFA Rankings
It comes as no surprise that with over £2 billion in revenue, the English Premier League (EPL) is the most lucrative football league in the world. Recent takeovers by Middle-Eastern billionaires and the return of global superstar Cristiano Ronaldo have all but strengthened the EPL’s dominance in attracting top talents all over Europe and the world.
English clubs’ recent ascendancy in European competitions, combined with England’s strong performances in international tournaments of late, just shows that the Premier League has no intentions of giving up on top spot any time soon.
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