Wang Haolan

Holly_cn@163.com

WHILE few may know that it was Edward II of England who first introduced the terminology of football, few will also doubt that the English Premier League is one of the best football leagues in the world, and the English teams, serving as the finalists of both the European Champions League and the Europa League for the first time in history, will definitely wrap up the 2018-19 season of European football with paeans.

When taking a look at the squads of the four Euro finalists, namely Liverpool versus Tottenham Hotspur at Madrid in the Champions League, and Chelsea versus Arsenal at Baku in the Europa League, it is self-evident that all of the clubs are quite international despite being based in England, as they feature managers from continental Europe and Latin America, and players from around the world.

On May 8, Liverpool concluded a remarkable 4-0 comeback against Barcelona at Anfield Stadium, with Belgian striker Divock Origi and Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum both bagging two goals. Also, it was Brazilian striker Lucas Moura’s head trick on May 9 that brought Tottenham two away goals better than Ajax, and finally one step closer to the silverware in Madrid, where the final of the Champions League will be held June 2.

In terms of the Europa semifinals, Belgian striker Eden Hazard with Chelsea stunned Eintracht Frankfurt by scoring a last-minute penalty, while Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with Arsenal scored a total of four goals in the two legs against Valencia.

One point worth mentioning is that Manchester City, the triumvirate of Premier League, has retained its league title this season following the guidance of Spanish coach Pep Guardiola, who specifically underlined the role of fullbacks and possession in his tactics.

However, being international doesn’t mean losing Englishness. A fast-paced, highly physical and relentless league, as it has long been regarded, the Premier League does break some negative stereotypes by incorporating the fresh blood of Latin, French and German football while, at the same time, retaining its English substance of an unbeaten mentality and physicality.

Moreover, with six of the world’s top 10 richest football clubs being based in England, the league has proved to be a magnet for consortium investment. The late Thai billionaire Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha bought Leicester City Football Club in 2010, which was playing in the Football League Championship at that time, and supported the team in winning a promotion to the Premier League and even the league title in the 2015-16 season.

Compared with the eras of Gary Lineker and David Beckham, when English footballers chose to play abroad at the noontide of their careers, more players are apt to gain matching time and senior team experience in the international football community at a relatively young age. Nineteen-year-old Jadon Sancho, a former academy player of Manchester City who earned his first senior contract with Bundesliga team Borussia Dortmund in 2017, scored 11 goals and delivered 14 assists this season. His team is now in a tight title race with Bayern München.

Madrid and Baku will witness two matches between four English clubs gathering footballers and managers from over 15 nationalities. No matter who lifts up the trophies in the end, it’s safe to say that this triumphant season of the English Premier League has truly demonstrated football as a borderless sporting event.