Europa League: Exciting but Irrelevant?

Today was the finals of this years Europa League with two Portuguese sides meeting in Dublin with Europe's supposed second biggest club prize on the line.  It is hard for me to comment on the match itself since I missed out on watching it but the reports I have read make it seem like it lacked the quality and excitement that would have made it into a bigger occasion.  The fact of the matter is that Porto and Braga are not among Europe's biggest clubs and despite both having strong histories and several quality players this game was never going to be close to any of the knock out round games of the Champions League in terms of quality.

To me the Europa League is a decent tournament but it lacks the quality and prestige of the Champions League since in its very nature it is filled with the teams that are not good enough for the latter stages of the Champions League.  The Barcelonas, Real Madrids, AC Milans, Chelseas, and Manchester Uniteds are not regulars in this tournament and as such the world's best players are not on display.  That being said if you are a smaller club, or a top club from a less prestigious league, then this might be your one shot and playing European football.  If you are a fan of a club like Porto this year or Fulham last year then of course you are going to be excited and enjoy watching your team go on such an impressive run.  But if you are a fan of a team like Liverpool or Manchester City you are not to upset when your team goes out since winning the Europa League is a lot of extra games and when you are in a top league it can be an unneeded distraction from domestic challenges which clubs often prioritize.   Having seen what trying to win this cup can do to a squad on FM which is only a game I can imagine the impact that it can have in real life as they midlevel clubs lack the depth that allow the top teams to compete on 3 or 4 different fronts.  But for the players who do go deep, and for managers, it gives them a real chance to increase their profile and possibly set up a move to a bigger club.  This years final was filled with a few names who certainly did their stock a lot of good.

The first person who has moved into the spotlight and is now considered as one of the faster rising names in the game is Porto's manager Andre Villas-Boas.  He seems to be set to follow in the shoes of another Portuguese manager who led Porto to glory in Europe and proved to be one of the best tacticians around despite his young age.  The other manager who I refer to is of course the so called Special one, Jose Mourinho who has travelled around Europe winning almost everything since his days at Porto where he won a Champions League.  It seems that like Jose, Villas-Boas is almost certain to move on at some point in the not to distant future as he has proven to have the tactical skills required to manage at the top levels and one of Europe's big clubs is sure to come knocking.  It may not be this year but it will certainly happen and the youngest manager to even win the Europa League will take on an even bigger challenge.


If Villas-Boas stays at Porto for another season he will almost certainly be without a few of the players who were key to this run to the final.  Having set the Europa League on fire with his record goals total of 17 Falcao will likely use that as a launching pad to move to a top club.  Many sources have speculated that he could be in for a move to the Premiership with the potential of Manchester City signing him but they are not going to be the only club hoping to get a deal done for the man who has scored almost a goal a game since joining Porto for the start of the 2009 season.  Falcao has also been linked to Real Madrid so it seems all but certain that he will on the move come the start of the transfer window.

Another name that is likely to be on the move is Hulk.  The Brazilian forward was also a key part of the clubs success and if the whole confusing story of how he came to play for Porto and what share of the player the club actually owns is ever sorted out he will likely be on the move again.  This time his transfer is likely to be a lot more straight forward with no third parties owning his rights.  The main team that is being linked with him is Manchester City who would like to add him to the squad in preparation for their champions league debut.  They wont be the only ones interested in him and it is sure to be a fairly big money transfer with several top clubs being interested.

Those three are the main names that I expect to move in the near future but I am sure that some top clubs are going to be taking a good long look at Porto's strong centre back Nicolas Otamendi.  He only joined Porto this season but his debut season was a good one and he has proven that he can compete at the top level.  Joao Moutinho, the 24 year old midfielder, who has proven his value first at Sporting and now at Porto could also be a target for some of the top teams.  He may lack the size and strength to play in England but I am confident that some teams will at least try and bring him out of Portugal.  


Porto may have won today's final 1-0 but unless they are stubborn in trying to hold on to their players this offseason the club could have a very different look next year.  On the bright side they can celebrate their win by cashing in on several million Euro's this summer.