Which clubs would make it into a European Super League?
https://footballwhispers.com/blog/which ... er-league/
10-11: Germany – Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund
For one of the world’s top footballing countries, it’s strange there aren’t more than two teams who instinctively feel elite. Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are the nation’s premier sides, but who else comes close? Borussia Mönchengladbach? Schalke? Bayer Leverkusen? They’re all good teams, but perhaps not European Super League level.
12: France – Paris Saint-Germain
The glamour of France’s capital and the wealth of Paris Saint-Germain’s Qatari owners make Les Rouge et Bleu an obvious candidate, despite only winning one continental trophy in their history – the Cup Winners' Cup in 1996.
Much like in Germany, none of the teams bidding to challenge PSG’s domestic dominance feel like they’re Super League worthy. Nantes, Monaco and Marseille all have a claim, but we’re only going with one French side in our 20 team division.
13: Portugal – FC Porto
We’ve got the opposite problem with Portugal. The standard of the Primeira Liga is too low to warrant two Super League outfits, but both Benfica and FC Porto have the kind of European pedigree that other clubs can only dream of.
While it would be desirable to have a team from Lisbon taking part, Porto just edge it thanks to the recency of their achievements. Two European Cup wins and two UEFA Cup / Europa League trophies since the 1980s can’t be matched by Benfica, who haven’t won a continental competition since 1962.
14: Netherlands – Ajax
Not too much of a debate here, Ajax are the Netherlands’ most successful club domestically and in Europe. PSV Eindhoven are their closest rivals after lifting the European Cup in 1988 but, in truth, they can’t really lay a glove on the honours de Godenzonen have accumulated over the years.
15: Belgium – Anderlecht
Can we really overlook Brussels, the unofficial capital of Europe? With Belgium looking like an up and coming power on the international stage, it feels like they should be represented – that’s despite question marks over the current standard of the Belgian Pro League. With 34 domestic titles, two Cup Winners’ Cups and a UEFA Cup triumph in 1983, Anderlecht appear the best candidate.
16: Greece – Olympiacos
Both from a commercial point of view and as a sporting competition, any Super League should be a healthy cross-section of European football’s major leagues. With that in mind, the remaining teams on our list are primarily included to ensure that every region under UEFA’s watch has some representation.
Olympiacos may never have lifted a European trophy, but they’re regulars in the Champions League and have won a staggering 44 domestic titles. Their closest rivals Panathinaikos are way behind Erythrolefki with ‘only’ 20 league championships to their name.
17: Turkey – Galatasaray
We want some regional rivalry in our newly formed Super League, so what better way to do it than by adding a Turkish side to take on their Greek counterparts?
While Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş both have impressive histories, Galatasaray’s UEFA Cup victory in 1999/00 etched their name onto the consciousness of football fans across the continent. They’re a team worthy of a spot at Europe’s top table.
18: Russia – CSKA Moscow
The wealth in post-Communist Russia would surely be too much for any new competition to ignore, but there are three teams who could make a case for deserving Super League inclusion. CSKA Moscow and Zenit Saint Petersburg have won one UEFA Cup apiece, while Spartak Moscow have the most domestic championships.
There’s no obvious candidate, but CSKA are a successful outfit on both fronts – they’ve won the Russian Premier League the most times since the turn of the century, and are just four behind Spartak’s ten titles.
19: Ukraine – Dynamo Kyiv
The battle between traditional powerhouses and new money continues in Ukraine, but this time it’s historic giants Dynamo Kyiv that come out on top. Challengers Shakhtar Donetsk may have had the better of things in recent years (winning 12 of the past 15 Ukrainian titles and lifting the UEFA Cup in 2008/09), but it’s going to take them some time to match Kyiv’s illustrious past.
Dynamo hold the record for Soviet Top League and Ukrainian Premier League titles (13 and 15 respectively) and won two Cup Winners’ Cups in 1975 and 1986. We want that kind of pedigree in our Super League.