There are 53 countries in the Union of European Football Associations. The top tier of teams is comprised of recognizable powerhouses. England is ranked Number One, just ahead of Spain, despite the fact that the latter won last year's World Cup in Johannesburg, South Africa. Germany ranks third, and Italy comes in fourth. The bottom rungs of the UEFA ladder are manned by countries that are either smaller or less economically stable than the classic powers of Europe: Malta, the Faroe Islands, Andorra, Luxembourg.
Fueled by Profits and Pride
The more prominent teams belong to nations whose culture and history is steeped in futbol. That, in and of itself, would never be enough to achieve the heights of any major sport - those countries have also forged lucrative partnerships with corporate sponsors, with the rights to television broadcasts becoming bigger than ever. The players are able to cash in on their celebrity in the form of endorsements.
Futbol has it All
Colorful players, Napoleonic coaches, bombastic managers and fans like no other sport has ever seen puts football in Europe (and everywhere else in the world) on par with American sports. European football passion, some will tell you, surpasses the fickle nature of sports fans in the U.S. When it comes to European football, there is no bandwagon off which to jump. For the fans, the coaches, the players and UEFA, it's a matter of being "all in".
National pride will continue to push UEFA teams to excel. Soon enough, the top ranks will be infiltrated by teams that have the resources and the desire to overtake the traditional powers - Russia, the Netherlands, Greece, and Scotland. However the rankings fall out, the game will continue as it has for over a century, as exciting today as ever.
Mark is an avid sports fan and online writer. He loves European football and recommends football games for live streaming online. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_S._Reid |
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