PSG Wins Farmers' League, What Does It Mean for the Premier League?

The success of Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League serves as an indirect blow to teams from the English League. Not only have they failed to win, but there have also been no finalists from this league, which is touted as the most competitive in the world, in the last two seasons. PSG, hailing from the French League, often referred to as the "farmers' league," has managed to dominate Europe.

The dominance of English teams reached its peak during the 2017-18 to 2022-23 seasons. There was always a representative from England in the finals, except during the special season amid the Covid-19 pandemic (2019-2020). Twice during this period, the final even took place between two English representatives.

That trend suddenly changed in the last two seasons. For instance, this season, the finalists actually come from the less competitive French League and the financially lagging Italian League. Questions then arise: what factors have led to the diminishing dominance of these English teams?

The reasons frequently cited by coaches in the English Premier League are the packed schedule and intense competition. Major teams typically compete in four competitions simultaneously, while the majority of clubs in other countries only participate in three competitions. In addition to the number of competitions, the rivalry is also much more intense due to the relatively balanced quality among the teams.

That reason is less relevant this season. Arsenal and Liverpool, the strongest representatives from England, have been eliminated since the early rounds of the FA Cup. They are also not focusing their concentration too much on the domestic league. Liverpool has pulled too far ahead of Arsenal in the league title race. However, the result was that Liverpool was eliminated in the round of 16 and Arsenal in the semifinals.

The main cause of the failure of English representatives this season is PSG. The newly crowned Champions League winner arrived at the final with the title of "the killer of English teams." The team coached by Luis Enrique eliminated Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Arsenal consecutively from the round of 16 to the semifinals.

Is it reasonable to lose to PSG? Just ask Inter Milan, their opponent in the final match. PSG secured the "Big Ears" trophy after the largest victory in the history of the final, winning 5-0 at the Muenchen Football Arena on Sunday (1/6/2025 WIB). This result demonstrates that they are in a different world.

Steven Gerrard, the former Liverpool midfielder, was left in awe of PSG after the final. According to him, PSG is the most complete team in the tournament and deserves to be the champion. "This team can defeat you with speed, technical quality, or set pieces. There are so many game changers and talents within it, including a special coach," he stated.

English teams are always favored in the biggest tournament in Europe because they are very strong financially. They can improve the quality of the squad by buying players, without having to worry more about the club's financial balance. Proven, in Transfermarkt data, three English representatives occupy the top six squads with the highest total market value.

If financial strength and market value of the squad are used as parameters, PSG's dominance becomes relevant. PSG indeed comes from a "farmers' league," which is considered less competitive. The term "farmers' league" is an informal expression in the football world to refer to a league that is dominated by one or a few teams that always become champions. Despite originating from a "farmers' league," PSG's purchasing power, held by the wealthy Qatari businessman Nasser Al-Khelaifi, is beyond doubt.

Do not be deceived by PSG's status as the youngest team in the tournament, with an average age of 23.6 years. Despite their youth, Enrique's squad is filled with the best rising players. Players such as Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia were acquired for extraordinarily high prices in the last two seasons.

PSG has spent 519.4 million euros (Rp 9.61 trillion) in the last four transfer windows, since the summer of 2023. Only Chelsea, a team that exceeded that spending amount, has spent more. When calculating net expenditure, which is purchases minus sales, PSG ranks third among teams with the largest deficit in Europe (240.7 million euros).

This is what enables PSG to remain competitive at the highest level after losing superstar striker Kylian Mbappe last summer. The value of the PSG squad, without Mbappe, still reaches 923.5 million euros, making it the fifth largest in Europe. As a result, it is entirely reasonable for them to compete without feelings of inferiority against English teams.

Regardless of that, PSG's resurgence this season is quite unique. They are a team that is markedly different from the first half of the season. Evidently, in the group stage, Doue and his teammates were defeated 0-2 by Arsenal. They discovered their true identity in the second half of the season, including after the arrival of Kvaratskhelia in January.

So unpredictable and full of surprises, Enrique said, PSG's journey this season is suitable for a horror or thriller film. "Our finishing was very bad at the beginning. The effectiveness of this team was very low. Until finally we found sharpness in front of goal. We continue to improve," said the coach.

In a tournament like the Champions League, trends and momentum are everything. Consistency is important, but not guaranteed. Especially in the knockout stages. Liverpool advanced from the group stage as leaders, while PSG only finished 15th and had to go through the playoffs first.

Dewi Fortuna also plays a role in the tournament system. This can be seen from the match between PSG and Liverpool, which ended in a penalty shootout after a tie over 210 minutes, including two normal times and two extra periods. As former England national team goalkeeper Peter Shilton stated, calmness and focus are required in a penalty shootout, but the biggest factor is luck.

Although the existence of English teams is being questioned, there is no need to worry. They will return next season with a greater threat, as there are six English representatives for the first time in the tournament's history. This means that 16.6 percent of the tournament participants are teams from the most competitive league. (AP/REUTERS)