Across the channel, Champions League has also thrown up the finest to reach the final, but without the ‘same old, same old’ algorithm at play. This time, CL ‘giants‘ Real Madrid are pitched against ‘giant killer’ Borussia Dortmund. In EPL, two top sides are duelling it out to the end. This is unlike last year’s ‘monopoly’ when City claimed the crown, with Arsenal No. 2 by a distance. It was only in the latter stages of this year’s tournament that Liverpool fell out of contention, and marquee sides like Man Utd and Chelsea made to languish behind the likes of Aston Villa and Newcastle. This is what makes EPL the most exciting football league in the world.
Borussia Dortmund ploughing through the CL final on June 1, after beating fellow German giants Bayern Munich and others deemed ‘Europe’s best’, has also catalysed the tournament. The irony isn’t lost that in Germany’s domestic league, Dortmund languishes at No. 5, with relatively unheralded Bayer Leverkusen having already won their first Bundesliga title, significantly ahead of 32-times winner Bayern. This, too, is good for the league.
You don’t have to be Serena Williams to know that ‘competition ignites passion, determination, and the pursuit of excellence’. On the economic front, we have tasted the consequences of a competitive playing field in the post-liberalisation era. Having strong opponents makes the game stronger, whether it’s football or democracy.
