Premier League clubs are dominating La Liga in Champions League, with Chelsea’s win over Barcelona highlighting England’s growing influence fueled by financial power and strategic player acquisitions.
The sheer financial power of the Premier League has prompted one football analyst to declare the English top flight as the “super league of Europe.”
The dramatic shift in balance is attributed primarily to enormous broadcast revenues generated by television rights, with income from this source significantly dwarfing those of other countries.
This spending power culminated last summer when Premier League clubs collectively spent more than £3bn in the transfer window.
This sum represents a record for a single window and exceeds the total expenditure of the Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1, and Serie A clubs combined.
Arsenal, in particular, demonstrated this financial muscle, spending £250m—the most of any Premier League club—to enhance their squad depth.
This investment has propelled the Gunners to the top of the English top flight and placed them joint top of the Champions League table alongside Bayern Munich, with the two sides set to meet in a blockbuster clash on Wednesday night.
However, English dominance is yet to be confirmed by European silverware. Spanish sides have historically led the way, winning the European Cup 20 times overall—five more than English teams. Real Madrid, for example, beat Borussia Dortmund in the final 18 months ago for their record-extending 15th title.
The difficulty of the knockout format is clear, as even the Liverpool side that finished top of the standings in 2024-25 lost in the last 16 to eventual winners PSG.
The comprehensive nature of the English advantage was summed up by the analyst. According to a report from Balague:
“Obviously in a knockout competition anything can happen but in terms of money, talent, coaching, facilities and even the talent in the offices, England is the super league of Europe.”
He added: “I am not saying this perhaps with the jealousy of Spanish football in general, it is just a reflection of what is happening.”