Soccer Statistics Corner: A look at Europe's top leagues
Written by Alessandro Nicolo   
Saturday, 08 December 2007

Here are some statistics for the Finals and Semi final balance for Champions League, UEFA Cup, Cup Winners Cup; Super Cup; Intercontinental Cup:

Note: Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup  are one game finals. The rankings are as follows:
Super Cup: Italy 9-3; Spain 6-8; England 7-5; Germany 0-7; Netherlands 3-3; Portugal 1-2
Intercontinental Cup: Italy 7-5; Spain 4-4; England 1-6 ; Germany 3-2; Netherlands 3-1; Portugal 2-2

Finals:
Italy 78; Spain 74 ; England 64; Germany 46; Netherlands 26; Portugal 21

Wins:
Italy 44; Spain 39; England  36; Germany 19; Netherlands 17; Portugal 9

By percentage:
Netherlands .654; Italy .564; England .563; Spain .527; Portugal .429; Germany .413

Semi-finals balance for Champions League, UEFA Cup, Cup Winners Cup:
Italy 86; Spain 86; England 77; Germany 76; Netherlands 30; Portugal 21

Champions League

Titles:
Italy 11; Spain 11; England 10, Germany 6; Netherlands 6; Portugal 4

Finals:
Italy 25; Spain 20; England 14; Germany 13; Portugal 9; Netherlands 8

Semi-Finals:
Spain 38; Italy 33; England 29; Germany 23; Netherlands 13; Portugal 11

All-time UEFA coefficients table:

Spain led Europe between 1960-1966 and 2000 to the present
Italy led 1986-1989 and 1991-1999
England 1967-1975 and 1985
Germany 1976-1984 and 1990

Total number of years leading:

Spain 15; Italy 13; England 10; Germany 10

Current coefficients:
Spain 76.89; England 68.54; Italy 66.09; France 53.66; Germany 44.36; Portugal 42.75; Romania 40.17; Netherlands 39.38; Russia 36.13; Scotland 30

Final thoughts: 

The current coefficient figures reflect what has been going on this decade. Spanish clubs have performed best while French teams (Ligue Un) have had one of its strongest runs ever. The last time French clubs peformed decently well in Europe were in the 1950s with clubs like St. Etienne and Stade de Reims. Does this mean Ligue Un is stronger than the Bundesliga? Not necessarily.

When measuring Europe’s top soccer leagues it always comes down to a debate that considers objectivity and style. Many people tend to gravitate toward debating on the aesthetic. Looking at the objective entails gathering the whole picture. Unfortunately, there is no way to measure “style” with any competence or objectivity. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

However, sports are based on results and the best way to see who does best is to tally up the facts and figures. Statistics tend to even out how we view leagues since they erase any misperceptions and allow for a concrete look at how they perform. Even then, it is not full proof. We are dealing with different cultures each of whom have an opposing interpretation of how to play the game. It is not perfect and nor should it be lest it takes away the joy in discussing and arguing about soccer!

Considered above were the titles and finals as well as the semi-finals balance from five tournaments to reveal the overall strength of each league.

That being said, as the totals show, historically and in terms of titles Serie A has a slight edge over its La Liga and Premiership counterparts. In terms of coefficient dominance, La Liga has a slim lead on Serie A.
It is interesting to note the abysmal record of Germany’s Bundesliga in the finals of major tournaments in terms of winning percentage and the success of the Dutch Eredivisie.

A statistic that does not show up here (and one may not consider it of great importance) is the number of different teams that have won and participated in the finals and semi finals from each league. The Premiership leads the way followed by the Bundesliga. La Liga and Serie are virtually similar with Serie A earning the slight nod. 

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Last Updated ( Saturday, 08 December 2007 )