The renaissance of English football in Europe
From 2005 to 2011, English clubs dominated in Europe, before a barren spell put a spotlight on the Premier League's continental struggles. Could this be the year we finally see a resurgence?
English clubs were once the giants of European football: In 2005, Liverpool beat AC Milan in Istanbul, before the Italian giants exacted revenge on the Reds in the 2007 final. Barcelona were able to stop Arsenal in 2006, as well as Manchester United in 2009 and 2011.
In 2007 and 2009, the Premier League accounted for three of the four semi-finalists, and Manchester United in 2008 and Chelsea in 2012 even lifted the coveted trophy. But the Blues' triumph, which culminated a decade of hefty investment with, ironically, Abramovich's weakest side, masked the start of the decline of English clubs.
It was a question posed by many, even though television pundits and presenters widely eulogised the Premier League as the greatest league in the world. How could some of the best teams around fail among Europe's elite in a competition they were expected to succeed in? The richest league on the planet? Perhaps. The most entertaining to watch? Many believe so. But in recent years they have been far from Champions League glory.
Arguments such as the lack of a winter break or the increased intensity and depth of the domestic competitions were put forth, but the fact of the matter was that English clubs failed to perform. In 2017, however, English teams are flying high. With five entries to the competition and after the first five fixtures of the group stages, English clubs are still holding all the pole positions.
Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea have all booked their spot in the next round by topping their respective groups, while Liverpool and Manchester United have all but guaranteed their place in the knockout stages, even after the latter's disastrous result in Basel.
What could be the reason for such a turnaround in their fortunes? Managerial stability may have played its part, with every coach in charge of the five English representatives now in at least their second season in charge. A year ago, the likes of Guardiola, José Mourinho and Jürgen Klopp were busy ripping things up in order to rebuild their squads from scratch.
"Sometimes in football you have cycles. The last three years haven't been good for the English teams and I think now you're going to see the emergence of the strength of the English teams," said Frank Lampard, who lifted the trophy with Chelsea the last time an English team reached the final. One must not forget that the season is long and that the dip in form usually takes place after the Christmas break. For now, the picture is bright.