The 2004 U.S. Olympic Basketball Team, the 1972 Miami Dolphins football team and the 2012 Los Angeles Angels baseball team are all examples of greatly anticipated super teams that were expected to go on to dominate their respective sports competitions for years to come. However, their legacy was far from perpetual, as the United States would fall to Argentina in the bronze medal game, Don Shula’s Dolphins would never win another title and the Angels would be left out of the Major League Baseball playoffs after increasing their payroll by $16,397,358. In America, one is hard pressed to find a dynasty that takes hold of primacy in its respective sport, the lone exception being the New York Yankees, who have milked the state of New York for much of its prestige and money on the way to a MLB record-breaking 27 World Series titles.
In the realm of soccer, however, dynasties are an ever-present phenomena, and they tend to be much more consistent than those in any other sport. As the strong hand of money pushes some teams to glory and fame, others fall by the wayside, trying to grab onto it. Historically, European soccer almost always has the same teams dominating. It may be history itself, luck or even an omniscient presence that prefers a team to others lending a helping hand. Here are some examples.
In the past 10 years, Spain’s top league — pompously named La Liga — has featured continuous dominance from supreme powerhouses FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. With both teams splitting the major tournaments amongst themselves, Valencia CF, currently in ninth place, was only allowed to win one title in the 2003-2004 season. Even then, the two premier teams dominated, falling only five and seven points behind the lead — second and fourth place — respectively, while the fifth place team was 21 points behind.
Real Madrid has a total of 32 titles, Barça has 21 and the third-best is a measly nine from the other Madrid team, Atletico Madrid. In the present day, these three teams are at the top of La Liga, as expected. Barça first, a weak performing Madrid not too far behind a second place Atletico and the rest of Spain’s strongest league competing for fourth place is a common phenomenon.
The English Premier League has been similarly ruled by a single squad throughout the years, this one being led by an anointed knight. I speak of Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United, which has won the English Premier League 12 times in the 30 years of its existence. Man U’s strong presence extends past the inception of the Premier League, and the team has been the best club in England a record 19 times. Liverpool comes close with 18, but has not come close to a championship since their last win in 1989. British eyes have now fallen on United’s closest geographical rival, Manchester City, which was the team that took the title from their arch rivals by goal difference in the last three minutes of the 2011-2012 season.
As historic dominance has lead Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United to popularity and unspeakable riches, recent acquisition by Russian and Arab millionaires Roman Abramovich and Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan have pumped money into Chelsea FC and Manchester City, raising them to newfound glory. Although the place of money in sports is another debate, it is simple to see what it has recently done to the world of soccer. The rise of new super powers has come. The question at hand is whether old rich or the new rich will succeed. One should keep a look out on French team Paris Saint-Germaine that was recently purchased by a quatrain investment company. Currently tied for first place, after considerably loading their team with stars, how will they finish their season?
Francisco Navas is a staff writer. Email him at [email protected].