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The marketing success of the English Premier League has made it the most popular league but not necessarily the best in the world. UEFA ranks La Liga over EPL. Photo: Reuters

The success of English clubs in this season’s Champions League(CL) has once again sparked the debate as to whether the English Premier League (EPL) is the best in the world or not? Arsenals victory over reigning European champions AC Milan has increased the claims of the EPL to being the best league in the world. However a closer look at the situation tells a different story

Football connoisseurs rave about how Arsenal plays such beautiful football, while complaining about the likes of Bolton and Blackburn , who have a reputation for uneventful football. Well almost all teams in Spain , with the exception of one or two try to play like Arsenal, whereas every team in the EPL bar Arsenal and Manchester United play boring football. The Serie A in Italy is not renowned for the quality of its football. Italian teams are more defensive-minded than their other European counterparts.

La Liga has a reputation amongst EPL fans as being a league full of divers. However the truth is that cheating occurs as much in England . The sad part is that some of the best players in the EPL often resort to diving and simulation in order to gain an advantage for their team.

EPL is renowned as the quickest and most physical league in the world. But that doesn’t necessarily translate into it being the best league in the world. The other leagues are not as fast as the EPL but their players close down quickly as well as premiership players and there isn't much difference between them and the EPL.
Since the English teams were allowed to take part in European competitions after the Heysel ban, the record for teams from the EPL and the La Liga stands as:

Spain- 4 CL wins, 3 CL losses (amongst 3 teams)
England- 2 CL wins, 2 CL losses (amongst 3 teams)

Spain- 3 Uefa Cup wins, 1 Uefa Cup loss (amongst 4 teams)
England- 1 Uefa Cup win, 2 Uefa Cup loss (amongst 3 teams)

Spain- 2 Cup Winners Cup(CWC) wins, 2 CWC loss (amongst 3 teams)
England- 3 Cup Winners Cup wins, 1 CWC loss (amongst 3 teams)

The records speak for themselves.

Ever since the EPL was born, four different teams have won it compared to the five that have won the La Liga. Also it is often understood that it's almost a given right for the “Big 4” of the premiership to finish in the top four positions, whereas the Spanish League is so unpredictable in terms of a team’s final position.

There is no denying that the EPL is the most viewed league in the world. However audiences are won through superb marketing and no competition is marketed better than the EPL. Also the EPL is an English league, which has the advantage that English is the world’s universal language and therefore has a greater reach.
All the facts and figures point to one league and that is the La Liga. Even the Uefa Rankings has La Liga as the number one league in the World.