The English Premiership is now far and away the richest league
in the world, money that has seen a huge influx of foreign owners,
coaches, and players.
England has dominated the Champions League this season, and are
looking likely to have three teams in the semi-finals of the
competition.
Most people have put this dominance down to the huge amount
foreigners in the league, with the top clubs able to pick and
choose virtually whoever they want.
In yesterday’s quarter final between Arsenal and Liverpool, only
two English players started, Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard,
both of Liverpool.
“Do you remember the British teams a few years ago?,” wrote
Collovati on his Goal.com column.
“They used to do long balls, with a powerful centre forward,
headers and very little else.
“The wealth of the clubs overseas has allowed them to buy many
foreigners, who have brought a new game, not to mention the
coaches.
“Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester now have a very good
organization of play and constant ball possession, and they have
very agile centre forwards.
”English football is no longer static, everyone runs and helps out,
they can even be imaginative and, unlike the Italians, they are not
too tied to a particular pattern of play.
”What is more is that the British will defend as we did many years
ago, man-marking.
”In the past I have always liked the force shown by British teams,
but not their technical quality or tactics.
“However the foreigners, and coaches like Benitez, Wenger and
Ferguson are responsible for the technical change,” Collovati
concluded.
Collovati played for both Milan and Inter during an illustrious
career. He also won a Scudetto with the Rossoneri in 1979 and later
represented Udinese, Roma and Genoa in Serie A.