Good article on why some of the favoured European clubs are struggling, and why the UEFA teams could face problems down the line.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-c...cc=5901&ver=us
Quote:
JOHANNESBURG -- No European team has yet matched the standards set by Brazil and Argentina at this year's World Cup, and Italian soccer federation president Giancarlo Abete says he knows why.
Europe's traditional big six of Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, France and England have mustered only four wins between them in the tournament's first 11 days -- and the Dutch provided two of them without hitting anything like top gear.
Abete blamed Europe's big clubs, awash with money from lucrative broadcast contracts, for failing to develop young players good enough for international soccer.
|
I have to say this one of the reasons I've really liked Harry Redknapp's approach at Spurs. When healthy, Tottenham usually have 6 English-born starters, with more English players on the bench.