Learning To Love The Play-Offs
World Soccer|June 2018

Crowning a champion used to be so satisfactory. Take 18 or 20 teams, they all play each other home and away, and whoever gets the most points wins.

Paul Gardner
Learning To Love The Play-Offs

It is a system that has worked pretty well for decades – but it has always been far from perfect. In particular, those end-of-season games between teams that have nothing to play for and teams fighting to stay up or to get into Europe.

That league system has also lacked a crucial element: glamour. We now live in a world where TV and marketing values rule – and those are values that very much like drama and glamorous occasions.

Yet how much of that does the current league system give?

Consider this past season in Europe. In Italy, Juventus were champions for a seventh consecutive campaign. In Spain, Barcelona were runaway winners with only one game lost. In Germany, Bayern Munich won for the sixth consecutive season. In England, Manchester City claimed a record 100 points.

In England, Germany and Spain the championships were over a month or so before the official season’s end, giving an empty, non-climactic feeling to seasons that already lacked grand finales.

Esta historia es de la edición June 2018 de World Soccer.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición June 2018 de World Soccer.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE WORLD SOCCERVer todo
Going for Gold in Paris- There are plenty of candidates vying for the Olympic gold medal in the women's football tournament this summer
World Soccer

Going for Gold in Paris- There are plenty of candidates vying for the Olympic gold medal in the women's football tournament this summer

There are plenty of candidates vying for the Olympic gold medal in the women's football tournament this summer

time-read
5 minutos  |
July 2024
Face to face - Tom Sainfiet- The final goal is to reach the World Cup and write history - The Belgian coach speaks to World Soccer
World Soccer

Face to face - Tom Sainfiet- The final goal is to reach the World Cup and write history - The Belgian coach speaks to World Soccer

The well-travelled Belgian coach speaks to World Soccer after taking charge of the Philippines-his 11th international coaching role

time-read
4 minutos  |
July 2024
Inter cruise to title number 20
World Soccer

Inter cruise to title number 20

Simone Inzaghi's Internazionale shrug off all challengers before sealing the Serie A title in style against their biggest rivals

time-read
3 minutos  |
July 2024
HAT-TRICK HERO
World Soccer

HAT-TRICK HERO

Ademola Lookman wrote his name into European football's history books with a hat-trick in the Europa League final

time-read
6 minutos  |
July 2024
GOING UP
World Soccer

GOING UP

The story of Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres' career has been one of upward trajectory - and there's plenty more to come from the Sporting superstar

time-read
6 minutos  |
July 2024
Palau soldier on alone
World Soccer

Palau soldier on alone

The isolated Pacific nation faces a long and lonely battle to improve football on the island

time-read
2 minutos  |
July 2024
Brazilian clubs eye Copa number six
World Soccer

Brazilian clubs eye Copa number six

As the Copa Libertadores group stage concludes, a sixth consecutive Brazilian winner is looking likely

time-read
3 minutos  |
July 2024
AI Hilal sweep to another Saudi crown
World Soccer

AI Hilal sweep to another Saudi crown

The first edition of the Saudi Pro League's glamorous new era ends with a familiar title winner

time-read
3 minutos  |
July 2024
Disasters brewing
World Soccer

Disasters brewing

There is still a long way to go in World Cup qualifying, but dysfunction reigns at Cameroon, Congo and Nigeria after four matchdays in the group stage

time-read
3 minutos  |
July 2024
Second round of World Cup qualifying underway
World Soccer

Second round of World Cup qualifying underway

Favourites perform largely as expected, yet Cayman Islands dominate the headlines

time-read
3 minutos  |
July 2024