Kyle Walker has revealed whether it is tougher to win the Premier League or the Champions League.
Walker was speaking ahead of the Club World Cup final (via Ben Jacobs) between Manchester City and Fluminense on Friday.
The Englishman settled the age-old debate, as opinions seem to be split about which competition is harder to win.
Kyle Walker says the Premier League is tougher to win than the Champions League
Before City conquered European football this year, many wondered the reasons behind their past failings, especially considering how dominant they were in the Premier League.
However, the manner of the Manchester City’s exits from Europe against AS Monaco, Tottenham Hotspur, Lyon and Real Madrid in previous years may have assured many that there is not a more challenging competition to win.
But according to Kyle Walker, winning the Premier League is a lot more difficult in comparison to the Champions League.
“I can assure you, it’s a lot harder to win a Premier League than it is to win a Champions League. I think Champions League, you need a little bit of luck. It needs to swing your way, like it did in the final for us”, he said, via Ben Jacobs.
“We played an okay game in the final, but if [Romelu] Lukaku goes and puts that [chance] in the back of the net, then are we here now? Are we not? Whereas a Premier League, it’s a 38-game slog.”
The Manchester City defender has a point
The example Kyle Walker gave about the Champions League and the Premier League is spot on. In any league and especially arguably the best division in the world, a team must maintain an incredible level of consistency week in and week out to be crowned champions at the end of the 38-game season.
But as far as the Champions League goes, it is a fine-margins tournament and as a result, moments play a huge part in deciding the victors.
As Kyle Walker admitted, Manchester City were far from their best during the final against Inter Milan, struggling to play through the opposition’s press and create chances while making defensive errors. Had the Serie A giants been more clinical, perhaps they would have been crowned the champions of Europe.
But City rode their luck and managed to complete their treble, which would not be possible in the Premier League across 38 games.
