There’s been plenty of talk in recent weeks about which league is tougher, the Premier League or La Liga.
Southampton manager Ronald Koeman, who has experienced both leagues first hand, reckons that it’s the English game that is more difficult and competitive as revealed to FIFA.com.
And poor ol’ Cristiano Ronaldo got dragged into Koeman’s justification for his opinion.
“Everyone knows that the Dutch league is at a lower level, but even in Spain that level of competition just isn’t there. I don’t think Ronaldo, for example – though he is clearly a great player – would be scoring 40, 50 goals a season if he was still playing in England.”
Koeman has only been managing in the Premier League for 10 months but he knows well the level of competition at play in both Spain and Holland, having played and managed in both countries.
But with a top 8 finish guaranteed for the Saints this season and the mathematical possibility of finishing as high as fourth, the Dutchman’s debut campaign in England will go down as a success and he is happy at St. Mary’s.
“What I wanted was to be part of a club that is forward-thinking and focuses on developing young players; building from that foundation.
“That’s what I had been used to and had enjoyed in Holland. There is a framework here – the academy is fantastic, the facilities are amazing – and it is good club with a long-term strategy.
“I enjoy being part of that and find it exciting as a coach. My feeling was that this was my kind of club.”
