Can anyone stop Manchester City from European domination?
After completing a treble this season, does any team in Europe has the potential to stop them next season? Let's find out.
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Manchester City
The attention of sports fans has mostly been on the NBA Draft, Lionel Messi’s imminent arrival in Miami, and the race for the playoffs in Major League Baseball recently. But European soccer fans will still be reeling from the seismic shift felt at the end of last season.
After years of trying, Manchester City finally won the Champions League and fulfilled the dreams of their very wealthy owners. The new season may still be a few months away but most of the best sports betting sites have the EPL champions down to repeat the trick next year. Can anyone stop City from taking over?
Long Time Coming
When Manchester City was taken over in 2008 by a group including a member of the United Arab Emirates royal family, the goal was taking the club to the very top of the game–and that included winning the most important club trophy in Europe; the Champions League.
The fact that it then took 15 years to achieve that could be seen as a failure. But it is not as if there were not countless other trophies won, including a recent domination of the EPL. But it was European glory that was desired above all – and now Manchester City has attained that status.
English Challengers
It could be that the closest challengers to Manchester City’s European domination plans will also be the closest geographically. The EPL is the richest league on the continent and top players from even the biggest and best clubs across Europe beat a path to the league.
There are traditionally successful teams, like Manchester United and Liverpool, that will challenge next season. Arsenal may also be able to build on its surprising title challenge from last year. But it is other clubs, like Newcastle, being taken over by other wealthy Middle Eastern owners, that could swing the balance of power.
Traditional Powerhouses
Although English clubs have been incredibly successful in the Champions League over the years, it was always the teams from Italy and Spain that dealt with the pressures of the competition better – causing problems for EPL representatives. Real Madrid and Barcelona will battle City all the way, for example.
Another club with mega-rich owners from the Middle East will be just as keen to usurp City as well. Paris Saint-Germain has the bad luck of playing in a weaker league and not being tested enough to turn it into champions. But with so much money, there must be a chance of European glory soon.
Change at Manchester City
One other element that could affect City’s chances of repeating this year is the fact that the players have now won the trophy. Although it is unlikely that Pep Guardiola would allow his players to act in this way, there could be a feeling of the job being completed – mission accomplished.
The news that Ilkay Gündogan, so instrumental in the club’s triple title haul this season, will be joining Barcelona in the offseason shows that there will be a yearning for pastures new for some. Manchester City would be able to throw more money at new players to counter any exodus though, of course.
Prediction
So, can City swat away the competition next year as well? It probably depends on what your definition of domination is. There is a good chance that the club could win the EPL next season – and even become the first team to win back-to-back Champions Leagues for six years.
But dominating Europe would probably mean another few seasons of City winning just about everything on offer – and that seems like a tall order. There is too much money pouring into other teams, especially in England, now. This team should be in the running for most trophies for a while yet, but it might not be a complete takeover.
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Lakshya Chopra
(2595 Articles Published)