And if you asked the Real Madrid fans that same question you’d get exactly the same answer.

Sick of being second best to Barcelona, sick of football they view as pragmatic they want their cake and to eat it.

With champagne, and golden spoons and second helpings.

But if you asked the President, Florentino Pérez or Madrid’s debutant coach, Rafa Benítez the same ‘just what is it that you want to do?’ question the answer might be different.

Much more pragmatic.

Thursday’s Champions League draw gives them a group perfectly balanced not only for an assault on Europe but for the right kind of early season test.

Paris St Germain have shown over the last three seasons with Barcelona and Chelsea [ten games, two wins, four draws, four defeats] that they are on the rise and that they can threaten anyone on their day.

Not a side Madrid have to fear but one which will mean Los Blancos will need to focus and find top gear [no Primal Scream reference there] in order to subdue.

Madrid start at home, and their first away trip is far easier and less tiring than PSG’s.

Their final group game is at home and against, nominally, the weakest team. Even the schedule is on their side.

However, and this might be heretical, is winning the Champions League actually Benitez’s priority?

‘Just what is it you want me to do, Florentino?’ might well be Rafa’s question to the Madrid President.

Los Blancos have won the Spanish title twice in the last eight years.

Their fans and some of their ‘cyclops-vision’ media not only crave it, they crave the opportunity to wave two fingers at their city neighbours, Atlético, who won the title more recently, and Barcelona, who’ve dominated La Liga for a decade.

More, Carlo Ancelotti was shown the door in the summer just 12 months after winning the Champions League so dramatically against Atleti.

A victory which, if you consider the alternative for Madrid, should really have earned him another five years of job safety at the Bernabéu. It didn’t.

Major League Concerns

So whatever the sheen of Madrid’s history says, whatever the threat of Barça closing the European Cup gap between them still further Rafa Benítez must prioritise doing something he’s not achieved since the last time he coached in Spain, eleven years ago – winning the title.

Will that undermine trying to win La undécima? Madrid’s eleventh Champions Cup?

The answer lies with Ronaldo. Whatever the club’s ambitions he wants more Champions Leagues, he wants to haul Messi back in the Ballon D’Or voting and, judging by his variety of sour looks in Monte Carlo on Thursday, he wants to win the UEFA Best Player In Europe back.

Vitally, too, Ronaldo wants to edge ahead of Messi with whom he’s tied at 77 goals apiece at the top of the all-time Champions League scoring list.

With nine games of Rafa in charge Madrid have failed to score on five occasions, usually with Ronaldo absent.

So, I think there’s some fun in the Ronaldo-Messi betting.

The End of His Ron

Ronaldo has significantly outscored his rival over the last four Champions League seasons – by nine.

The last time Messi beat Ronaldo to UCL top scorer was in 2011/12 – coincidentally the last time he had a shot at Bayer Leverkusen or Bate, Barça’s new group rivals.

Against Bernd Leno, Leverkusen keeper, Messi scored six in two matches. In Borisov he put two past BATE.

Clues for this season?

Ronaldo hasn’t faced [and thus not scored against!] any of Madrid’s group rivals.

So, a priori, it might be worth an investment that Messi outscores Ronaldo this Uefa season, finishes Champions League top scorer and, thus, establishes the all-time lead.

Valencia, qualifiers, have a group in which Zenit and Lyon are both within Los Che’s orbit – beatable but, equally, capable of exploiting Nuno Espirito Santo’s team if they perform dozily.

The key to qualification is taking at least seven points from the first three games – home to Zenit, away to Lyon and then home to the weakest club, Gent.

In fact having home then away back-to-back matches with the Belgians is manna from heaven in terms of qualifying for the knockouts.

If you run a fantasy football team or like to look for less than obvious scorers then think about Sofiane Feghouli who just loves Uefa football and consistently rises to the challenge.

Their Group to Luis

Barcelona, who I think are capable of being the first to retain this competition, were given a draw that the naive think was wonderful but which will concern Luis Enrique.

Ex coach of Roma he’ll understand how hostile it is there and that starting at the Olympic Stadium in Italy’s capital is no ‘gimme’.

That their third fixture is also away, in Belorussia, means that the reigning champions need to start with concentration and hunger.

You’re laughing at me? BATE Borisov you splutter?

Beat Athletic Bilbao last season, thumped Bayern Munich the season before. BATE better than Barça, no. A niggly little test, yes.

And Now For Sevilla And Atlético

Which leaves the two sides who play at the Sanchez Pizjuan on Sunday night [19.30, Sky] – Sevilla and Atlético.

Atleti catch Benfica [whose striker Jonas didn’t mind a goal or an assist against the Colchoneros during his time with Valencia] at a good time given their consistent sales policy and the loss of influential coach Jorge Jesus.

Galatasaray and Astana carry their levels of threat/difficulty but Diego Simeone’s side is so hard working, so well balanced and so bloody stubborn that they’ll win the group regardless.

Sevilla? Well aside from the €20m cash windfall of qualifying the Champions League has brought them the reality of fighting for elbow room at Europe’s elite table.

Manchester City, Juventus and Borussia Mönchengladbach [who Sevilla put out of Europe last season] may prove too much for qualification, especially after losing three key players in Vidal, M’Bia and Bacca and needing to integrate new guys like Immobile, Konoplyanka and Llorente.

But, could Sevilla surprise everyone again by qualifying? Might they even retain the Europa League for the second consecutive time if not?

This Weekend

As for Sunday, it’s now six Liga and Cup matches since Sevilla beat Atleti at home.

There’s ill feeling between the sides who jostle to be considered third best in Spain – nearly eight bookings per match, average, over the last four meetings if you are a card-counter.

A splurge of reds in the Copa a couple of seasons ago.

Sevilla are nobody’s mugs though having lost just once at home since March 2014 [2-3 to a Ronaldo hat trick in May]

Griezmann, Llorente and a Coke/Koke any time might pay.

Score draw. 2-2 at 14/1.

Atleti: Oblak; Juanfran, Godín, Gímenez, Felipe; Koke, Gabi, Tiago; Oliver; Griezmann, Torres/Jackson
Sevilla: Beto: Coke, Rami, Kolo, Tremoulinas: Banega, Krykowiak: Vitolo, Iborra, Reyes: Immobile/Llorente

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Football, the ultimate team sport, is once again under his thumb.

Since January 4 this year Juve, as a squad, have scored 60 times in all three of their competitions.

Since January 4 Messi, alone, has scored 36 and given 14 goal assists – it’s completely remarkable.

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He ripped up the Copa del Rey final last weekend with two beautiful goals and a clever part in the third.

When the big games arrive – so does Lionel Andrés.

One of my early interviews with him was Autumn 2006 when he was admitting that it had been a flash of temper which made him refuse to go down to the pitch in Paris and celebrate with his team mates after Barça beat Arsenal in the Champions League final.

Not being named in the match squad by Frank Rijkaard had absolutely infuriated him.

He closed that subject with a:

God willing I’ll be back to lift that trophy a few times in the future.

Well, he’s had the opportunity twice and in both 2009 and 2011 he took that opportunity by scoring past Edwin Van Der Sar twice.

Not a bad record. (Ex Juventus keeper Van Der Sar was 38 when he first conceded to Messi in a Champions League final, Gigi Buffon is 37).

But add this context. Messi has played in 23 ‘final’ matches for Barcelona – 12 ‘one-off’ finals and 11 other ‘home-and-away’ finals. 23 matches … 20 Messi goals.

Of those 18 finals he’s only lost three.

And it might guide you to know that the only one-game finals Barcelona have lost with Messi in their side are the ones where he hasn’t scored – the 2006 Spanish Supercup and the Spanish Copa finals of 2011 and 2014.

Stop Messi and you have a chance – that’s the message.

During 2015 he’s shown his big-game mentality. Goals home and away against the reigning champions – Atlético. Goals in key matches against Valencia, Sevilla, Athletic and the Catalan derby with Espanyol plus a nifty assist for the first goal against Madrid in the Clásico.

Notwithstanding all that – IF you want to oppose him, oppose Barça then perhaps there’s a gentle hint.

He’s gone from having scored eight in six Champions League games during the 2014 group stage to having scored twice in six games in the 2015 knock-out matches.

Okay – he was just stunning despite not scoring in the home win over Manchester City

And the two he did get, plus an assist, were in the epic 3-0 semi-final win over Bayern.

But, figure it as you wish, there’s been a drop-off in him hitting the net in the Champions League this calendar year.

So, how do you rate the test that lies in front of him?

He’s never played Juventus competitively, never played Italy either. Thus it is that despite he and Buffon having played well over 1500 competitive club and international matches between them they’ve never gone toe-to-toe.

Who wins – the good big one or the great little one? Lucky it’s not boxing.

Might Buffon (below) in any way intimidate Messi – it’s not so ludicrous?

Messi’s penalty misses tend to come against keepers he thinks loom large in the goal. Something he once told me about Abbiatti at Milan.

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Speaking of Milan, Messi’s faced the defensive strategies of Juve coach Maxi Allegri eight times in the Champions League when he’s been in charge of the Rossoneri. Eight times, eight goals.

Where else might there be some fun? I pointed out last week that Barcelona have just begun to drift a little from nearly an entire season of excellence defending set plays or the ball into the box from open play.

But conceding like that to Bayern, Deportivo La Coruña and now Athletic [Iñaki Williams] in the Copa final tends to indicate that this is where Juve will surely concentrate. Chiellini, Pogba, Vidal, Morata all look like goalscorer candidates.

Of the two golden veterans, Pirlo (above) and Xavi, only the Italian is sure to start. But is Iniesta fully fit after his calf problem? Might Xavi get some game time? Probably, yes.

Pirlo scoring a direct free kick ain’t the daftest idea, Pirlo perhaps winning the MVP [if there’s a market on that] isn’t outright crazy.

Xavi said last week:

I adore watching Pirlo play, we’ve been facing each other for club and country since we were kids.

They’ll probably be playing together in Qatar from next season.

So, Xavi? Well he has a remarkable record. Goal assists in each of the two Champions League finals in which he’s played. A goal assist in each of the two European Championship Finals in which he’s played.

A goal and a goal-assist in two of this three Copa Finals against Athletic Bilbao, a goal against Juventus the last time they faced each other, a goal assist in the World Cup semi final, a goal and an assist in the World Club Cup final.

If he’s on the pitch at any stage on Saturday night then you might want to back him as an anytime goalscorer.

This is quite possibly Barcelona’s tightest final since Sampdoria took them to extra-time in 1992.

I reckon both teams to score. Then either 2-1 Barcelona or 2-2 and penalties. But if Messi wants it, if Messi performs – don’t back against him. It’s that simple.

Graham’s best bets:

• Both teams to score and Barcelona to win @13/5
• Barcelona to win 2-1 @ 12/1. 

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Earlier this season Getafe were a bit indigestible to the reigning Champions. Like trying to swallow six cream-cracker sandpaper sandwiches in a sauna.

Cosmin Contra’s team had Alexis sent off with 35 minutes to play but Atleti still only squeeked through 1-0.

For Getafe that may seem an eternity ago – it’s certainly a couple of managers ago. Coach Contra is in China, sold [!] to Guangzhou. Quique Sanchez Flores seemed a brilliant appointment but left, before the ink was dry on his contract, infuriated by broken promises, and now he’s being sued by the President.

Last week, losing 0-1 at home to Real Sociedad Getafe didn’t play like a ‘broken’ team. But it’s feasible that a fracture might occur here.

Getafe have had a man sent off in each of their last three Liga matches against Atleti, beginning last season, when Los Rojiblancos smashed them 7-0 in this fixture. Looks like bad blood.

Atleti street-fought their way through in Europe in midweek and while you might suspect that extra-time and penalties against Leverkusen would take their toll, physically, the mental boost of winning that shoot-out and delighting these rabid fans means that Atleti should be backed to come out all guns blazing and to get tucked right into Getafe.

Raul Garcia got two in this game last year and having missed a penalty in the shoot-out it’d be typical of him to get that monkey off his back quickly with a goal against Getafe.

Griezmann, as always, is worth a punt because his pace, confidence and form set him apart. But if Mario Mandzukic’s midweek knock keeps him out then Fernando Torres scoring in a Madrid derby is worth a look too.

Hunter’s Hint: Atletico -2 goals at 11/4

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Athletic Bilbao v Almería, Saturday 9pm
Referee Prieto Iglesias

The Lions finally had enough of being stared at in their cage and got on with doing a bit of savaging. Five straight wins in League and Cup, including the European champions, stingy in defence and in front of a roaring, proud crowd. All of that and the Copa final to come at the end of May.

So, playing lowly Almería who’ve not tasted victory in five it’s gotta be a straight KO, right?

But just the slightest engaging of memory muscles will remind you of Athletic losing to Elche, Cordoba and Granada this season.
All of them at San Mames. All of them ‘guaranteed’ wins.

Ernesto Valverde says:

“We need to change our mentality. “We’ve been playing well, last week Celta allowed us space to get in behind them but Almeria will dig in and we’ll need neat, technical, inside-forward skills around their area to get the win we want”.

Almería coach Juan Ignacio Martínez, known to friend and foe alike as JIM, agrees:

“I like my teams to be on the ball but I’ve consolidated my reputation as a coach by knowing how to defend deep, intensely and to play well on the break. “That’s my trademark”.

Tomer Hemed, fancied for long enough by Everton until a bad injury, is their most bankable scorer while Aduriz is having a simply unbelievable season. Miki San José, named in the Spain squad, loves a goal and while I don’t think this paints as an ideal game for him [he’ll get more on the break than he ever does as a penalty box finisher] Iñaki Williams does work his socks off for the team and one of these days he’ll look less ungainly in the box and score.

If this isn’t a firm home win then I’ll not be the only one who’s shocked. Athletic to score a couple and win. More Aduriz? Why not?

Hunter’s Hint: Aduriz to score and Bilbao to win at 8/5

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Villarreal v Sevilla, Sunday 4pm
Referee: Hernández Hernández

“Oh, it’s YOU again” – the surly, barely civil greeting between those who didn’t particularly like each other in the first place and have, definitely, seen too much of each other in recent days.

This will be the fourth meeting between them this season and the third in ten days. Thus far the clock has been Villarreal’s enemy in these contests.

For example, back in October they faced off in the League.

Vietto [definitely worth an any-time] put Villarreal ahead at the Sanchez Pizjuan with 11 remaining.

But then both Denis Suárez and Carlos Bacca [penalty] scored in the space of the last three minutes – the countdown to the final whistle cost Villarreal dearly.

Then, last week, it took Vitolo 13 seconds to give Sevilla a lead which they converted into a huge Europa League away win at the Madrigal – 1-3 was the final score with Mbia and Gameiro adding the other two.
[Vietto scored again].

So the Yellow Submarine dozed off in the first fixture and hadn’t woken up in time for the second meeting.

By Thursday things were slightly less dramatic but Suárez still added the key goal with the match balanced at 1-1 with seven minutes left.
Villarreal must feel pretty humiliated by Unai Emery’s evidently sharper/fitter team.

You’d have thought that, perhaps, they’ll get after them with all guns blazing just for a little bit of revenge on Sunday afternoon – perhaps Eric Bailly’s red card on Thursday will be added to?

But Sevilla have three wins and a draw in the last seven visits to the Madrigal.

So it’s a feisty one in prospect. Hard to call. Sevilla have proven that they are more savvy, fitter and maybe just that touch hungrier. So they should go home again without defeat. 2-2. Perm from Vietto, Gerard, Bacca, Vitolo [named in the Spain squad] or Denis Suárez for the goals.

Hunter’s Hint: 2-2 at 11/1

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Real Sociedad v Córdoba, Sunday 6pm
Referee: Velasco Carballo

This is a good moment to be David Moyes.

Everton don’t look better off without him, Manchester United’s vast expenditure on players hasn’t greatly improved their paying public’s contentment with the Van Gaal playing style, yet at least, and now Real Sociedad are both bright and bubbly.

They’ve won three out of the last four and suddenly there’s not a queue to get into the infirmary or red-cross aid being handed out in San Sebastian.

This season every single player except two, Rubén Pardo and Esteban Granero, has missed at least one game through injury and this is the first week that La Real have had every player fit.

The big question is whether the Scot reckons that his star striker Carlos Vela has had enough time working with the squad, after two months out, to have game time here.

A start seems unlikely, particularly given how well La Real have coped without him.

Cordoba have lost their last eight, more fool them for sacking Chapi Ferrer in the first place.

Worse, they’ve only scored four times in those eight matches. The second division awaits. Chapi’s replacement, Miroslav Djukic, has also been sacked and the ‘Miracle Man’ José Antonio Romero, is in charge. Last season he took over the Cordoba ‘B’ team when they’d gone eight games without a win [7 defeats] and saved them from relegation.

His former midfielder Rafa Gálvez reckons: “This is a reward for years of hard work by Romero. “He’s such a hard worker. “Last year the B team was last but he saved them. “It’ll be intense under him but he’s qualified for the job of keeping Cordoba up”. Iago Bouzón, Fede Vico and Edimar are all out – Crespo’s a doubt. Not ideal. Xisco came off the bench in the first game between these sides this season [1-1] to equalize very late on but Nabil Ghilas is the [any time scorer] danger man.

La Real aren’t a scoring machine and thus a draw isn’t impossible but their confidence is high, they’ve been working hard under Moyes and should win.

Perm from Canales, Chory Castro and Iñigo for an any time scorer. 2-0/3-1

Hunter’s Hint: Real Sociedad -1 at 15/8

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FC Barcelona v Real Madrid, Sunday 8pm
Referee: Mateu Lahoz

Okay, hands up and no shouting the answer out – who remembers Carlo Ancelotti’s ideas last season before the Camp Nou Clasico?

Anyone? No? Right, time you lot did more homework.

Gareth Bale at centre forward to begin with, Sergio Ramos in midfield. Sami Khedira lumbering around alongside him.

No Benzema to start with. No Isco. No Iker. Sounds farcical, doesn’t it?

But Madrid still only lost 2-1 and were, by the time he got things right tactically, distinctly in the ascendancy as the final whistle approached.

The Italian’s confusion wasn’t simply to do with it being his first match against Barça as Madrid coach – mainly to do with him not being sure of his own resources.

This Clasico weekend profiles differently. You’d bet that he’ll start with Casillas; Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo: Isco, Kroos, Modric: Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo.

No experiments, no mucking about. But the shape will probably be more often 4-4-2, and the style will certainly be more counter-attacking then has been the case for most of this season.

Ancelotti is asking Bale to work more defensively, to position himself more as a fourth midfielder than the third striker – and if the Welshman fulfils his brief he is, counter-intuitively, more likely to be a goal threat.

When he got his winner in the Copa Final last season he’d begun the move back in his own penalty box – but still left Marc Bartra gasping for air when sprinting across half the pitch, and what felt like twice around the stadium, to score. Let Bale get up pace and he’s more dangerous than he’s looked in recent months.

Barcelona are susceptible to pace and power when it’s deployed on clever counters against them – step forward Gareth-boyo.
Eight visits since losing here 5-0 in 2010 have all brought a Real Madrid goal or goals. They score at the Camp Nou and should do so again. Benzema has four in three v Barça.

If you’d like another reason to believe in the visitors then let’s update Claudio Bravo’s stats against Madrid.

Since 2006 he’s faced them 11 times, losing ten and conceding 33 goals.

All that said, Barcelona start favourites and should probably carry your cash on them. They play quick, confident football, press well and rob the ball and now they break effectively.

At set plays they score more, defending set plays they concede fewer.

There’s competition for places, Messi’s on flying form and Rakitic is the under-appreciated hit of the season.

It’s hard to imagine that Busquets is ready to play but Mascherano in midfield works – just differently.

Both teams to score, three+ goals [the last ten years have seen 34 Clásicos averaging three and a half goals per game], Messi to add to his all-time leading scorer status in this fixture, Benzema to reply but the home side to extend their Liga lead. Easier said than done.

Hunter’s Hint: Both teams to score and Barcelona to win at 6/4

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In a controversial column, Graham Hunter tells the Paddy Power Blog why Spanish football and La Liga rules in style over the Premier League

“Mickey Mouse league, Spain. Only two teams in it.”

That was the comment on Paddy Power’s Facebook page on Monday morning. The contributor didn’t sign himself as Mr J Cyclops of Tunbridge Wells — but he might as well have done.

Perhaps it’s because it came at a time when the six male nominees who will take the stage during January’s Ballon D’Or ceremony are all either Spanish or work in Spain that the feedback comment caused apoplexy in the Paddy Power office.

Hats off to Andrés Iniesta, Leo Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Vicente Del Bosque, Pep Guardiola and José Mourinho. I’d call that dominance.

Or maybe it seemed so out of place when Spain has eclipsed every other football nation by winning back-to-back continental titles with the World Cup squeezed nicely in between?

Oh, and should I mention early that since 2000 Spain has produced seven Champions League finalists and five winners?

You want Uefa Cup and Europa League, do you?

Ok, of the last 10 Uefa finals, seven of the 20 finalists have been from Spain, again five winners.

La Rojita are reigning Uefa European U21 Champions, have produced seven finalists in the last 11 U19 tournaments, including six wins, and just to ice the cake, five finalists of the last 10 U17 Championships… with two winners.

THE GREATS: Count Spain alongside the West Indies, Schumacher, and Kenyans like David Rudisha

All in all it’s a blanket dominance to put West Indies cricket in the 1970s and 80s, Michael Schumacher, Tiger Woods, Kenyan distance athletes and the All Blacks (forever!) to shame.

Impressive, organised and well marketed though the English Premier League may be, it isn’t a patch on Spanish football. Not even within touching distance.

But there are some, seduced by the packaging who endlessly need to put Spanish football down so that they can feel better (more smug or less worried, I wonder?) about English football.

The Premier League is better television

Right here and now let me make clear my acceptance that much of this ‘good, better, best’ argument in sport needs boxing’s ‘pound for pound’ unit of measurement applied. Even then it’s often subjective.

For example even though those facts I’ve just listed pummel all other arguments into the ground, overall, I’m full of respect for football in England.

Compared to La Liga it is televised better, it’s more modern, the scheduling is better, the stadia are better, racism is something to be sought out and driven out rather than complacently accepted, and there will always be some who enjoy vaudeville, melodrama and ‘oh-no-he’s-not-oh-yes-he-is!!’ more than opera, ballet, arthouse cinema and Classic FM.

What’s more, one of the reasons Spanish football is so comprehensively better than British football right now is fundamentally thanks to… British football.

REIGN IN SPAIN: Cazorla and Reina have been successful imports as Spain taste international glory

Over the last 10 years there has been a wholesale movement of Spanish players to Scotland and England.

Phase A was when those countries went fishing, tentatively, for bargain players (those right at the end of their career or Segunda Division talents who weren’t being paid their wages and thus were ripe for plucking) or uncut gems like Mikel Arteta, Cesc Fabregas and Gerard Piqué.

Phase B has been the realisation that the majority of Spanish footballers will have a technical and tactical quotient far above their UK equivalents, will probably be cheap (Michu anyone?) and on lower wages.

But back to Phase A.

Initially, those first Spanish exports found our lifestyle, our playing style and, let’s face it, our cuisine, hard to adapt to.

Some of their key conclusions were that in the UK the referee will blow for far fewer fouls, that we have a stronger sense of ‘fair play’and even your own team-mates will tell you to ‘get up off your arse’if you are rolling around in mock agony or diving for penalties.

But as the tough kids shone, Xabi Alonso, Cesc Fabregas, Roberto Martinez, Alvaro Arbeloa, Rafa Benitez, Pepe Reina, Fernando Torres at Liverpool they all brought home the message that in England you play hard, play fair and give absolutely everything.

That fan culture demands you run and try till your sweat glands are empty whether the team is winning, drawing or losing 5-0.

They, in a sense, were missionaries and what they preached when back amongst team-mates, national team coaching staff and the media was that UK football possessed something beautiful — toughness and a constant hunger to be mentally and physically strong enough to be victorious.

This was new to Spain and once the message was accepted, assimilated and applied here we began to see a fearful hybrid — modern La Liga players who were technically brilliant, could pass a camel through the eye of a needle, produced sleight-of-boot, were tactically smart and, now, were mentally and physically tough too.

So, Spain (club and country) is on a trophy winning spree of which England (and everyone else) can only dream.

Two-team league? Don’t make me laugh…

Spain, for a generation, has had a philosophy that all its age-level teams will play a brand of football and use formations which are tied to how the senior team is playing.

It’s a production line and the factory is called Las Rozas Ciudad del Fútbol. The Spanish federation has had its St George’s Park for just under a decade — quite an advantage.

Spain has vastly more professionally accredited coaches than England, and produces wave after wave of technically sublime players who now know that you have to be as ferociously tough as Piqué or Alonso and who tend not to get into tabloid scrapes over drink, drugs, girlfriends, air rifles or £20 notes.

But, as Mr Cyclops in Tunbridge Wells is presumably still fuming right now: “Spain is a two-team league!”

That’s the insult thrown in an attempt to belittle La Liga.

First of all it’s debatable how different it is from England.

Manchester City only began to remember what the title was, let alone became potential winners, once it was nicely plumped up with petrodollars. Nothing wrong with that. Manchester City are an exciting new force — especially now that they’ve hired Spaniards as Chief Executive, Director of Football and big boss on the pitch (David Silva).

But remove them from the equation and compare Spain’s title winners with England’s title winners since 2000. La Liga boasts Deportivo La Coruña, Valencia (twice) plus Real Madrid and Barcelona.

England has just three: Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.

Chelsea, by the way, are owned by someone with a personal worth meaning that the debts run up by Barcelona and Real Madrid would just be loose change to him. And if Arsenal win a trophy in May it’ll be their first in eight years.

More to La Liga than El Clasico clubs

No club in Spain has Chelsea or Manchester City’s wealth. Arsenal are a club in search of new impetus — pound for pound the English league has been utterly dominated by one outfit, Manchester United, since 1996.

What’s more, those who mock La Liga because “any team can beat any other” in England but “Madrid and Barcelona win easy” in Spain are ignoring large flotillas of facts.

What about when Sporting Gijon took Jose Mourinho’s nine-year unbeaten home record by winning at the Bernabéu? Or when Numancia, a club small enough to fit in your pocket, beat Pep Guardiola’s Barça at the beginning of their treble-winning season?

In recent years Getafe, Levante, Real Zaragoza, Osasuna, Sporting, Espanyol, Villarreal, Hercules and Real Betis have all taken scalps against Real Madrid and Barça.

La Liga is competitive. It’s just that both of the Clasico clubs are very, very good.

During my 10 years in Spain, 12 different teams have qualified for the Champions League slots in La Liga’s top four positions – what’s the equivalent record in England?

And while these so-called ‘no mark’ also-ran Spanish clubs might not be capable of winning the title they have also proved hellishly difficult for the rest of Europe to defeat.

Think of Sevilla winning back-to-back Uefa Cups, and Atletico Madrid winning two out of three Europa Leagues, each time defeating the reigning Champions League holder — Inter and Chelsea in the subsequent Uefa Supercup Final, Espanyol and Athletic Club in the Uefa final, Getafe in the semi final, Villarreal eliminating Manchester United from their Champions League group, and so on and so on.

I fully understand fans of United, Stoke, West Ham, Everton — name the club you want — who care passionately about local rivalries and about scraping together the money for a season ticket and a couple of away trips. Perhaps continental football feels less important, perhaps they simply don’t like the less robust, more scientific style.

Fair play. I have no bone to pick with that.

But I’ve lost count of the top, top professionals in both coaching and playing in the UK who, when we meet, want to know more about the science behind Spanish footballers and coaches being that good.

The shining English talents in management and those who still play top level, take in or tape Spanish football whenever they can.

They revere Iniesta, Xavi, Messi, Isco, Alonso, Ramos, Soldado, Llorente, Thiago, Ronaldo, Rossi, Falcao and Villa, home-bred brilliance and the cream of world soccer, having already imported Silva, Mata, Torres, Reina, Cazorla, Michu, Pablo, Romeu, José Enrique, Kun Aguero, Touré, Azpilicueta, Suso, Rodolfo Borrell, Rafa Benitez, Roberto Martinez, Chico, Cuellar, Arteta and many more.

Just one more thought — who’s THE most sought-after coach in world football right now.

Clue: he lives in Manhattan but he’s not American.

What really matters in football…

Okay, by now you’ve twigged that I was charged with producing a provocative, or at least thought-provoking column.

What’s more, only a fool or a PR man would argue that there isn’t a great deal which, if transplanted from England, wouldn’t automatically improve the infrastructure, health, wealth and marketabillity of La Liga.

TWO GOOD: Messi and RVP represent the best of both leagues

But what romantics like you and I really care about is the thrill of a player beating his opponent one on one, the passing movement which zips the ball from boot to boot as if it were heat-seeking and laser controlled.

The genius of invention, the routine of the ball being a footballer’s friend.

No matter what the men in grey suits argue at the Emirates Stadium right now, it’s not about being there or thereabouts all the time — it’s about vein-bulging, adrenalin-pulsing excitement, gasps, roars, fun, skill… and trophies.

Winning regularly, and winning with style.

Ladies and Gentleman, in the red corner and STILL the champion of the world… Spanish football.

• Betting: La Liga
• More from Graham Hunter

Graham Hunter is a Barcelona-based, British soccer writer whose passionate insight on La Liga can regularly be seen and heard on TV and radio. He also writes for the Paddy Power Blog on Spanish football. Follow Graham on twitter here.

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