Is the EPL becoming too strong?

One interesting aspect of the latter stages of this summer's superb European Championships was the obvious lack of Premiership stars on display.The Semi-finalists; Spain, Russia, Turkey and Germany all have one thing in common; they play without any English Premiership players. With the exception of Michael Ballack who plays for Germany and Chelsea, and Spain's Fernando Torres and Cesc Fabregas of Liverpool and Arsenal respectively, the rest of the Premiership’s elite watched the penultimate round of the competition on television. Of the 44 players who started the semi finals, only two, Ballack and Torres represent a Premiership club. For all you stats freaks out there, that's just 4.5 per cent. Not a great return since the Premier League boasts to be the most dynamic, exciting, and strongest competition in world football.But, perhaps one reason for this lack of Premiership representation at the business end of the competition is actually a direct result of the strength of the Premier League. Perhaps, the reason the Premiership wasn't represented in the same way as La Liga, the Turkcell Super League, the Bundesliga or even the Russian Premier League is because English Premiership players are physically shattered after long hard, gruelling seasons in their domestic competition. Couple that with the fantastic success of the top clubs in England in the Champions' League, a competition in which the top two in England, Chelsea and Manchester Utd reached the final, and perhaps it is not surprising that many Premiership stars ran out of legs before and during the tournament in Switzerland and Austria. The physical nature of the Premier League is also possibly the main factor in England’s inability to even qualify for the tournament.There is no doubting that last year's domestic competition was stronger than any previous year in history. The dominance of British clubs in European competition was impressive, especially in comparison to the unusually poor performances by teams from Spain, and in particular Italy. The ease with which Arsenal dismantled AC Milan was petrifying. And Manchester United’s progression into the final was frightening. Barcelona and Roma were pushed aside with apparent ease.Real Madrid, a club that supplied Spain with the backbone of their team performed atrociously in this season's Champions' League. Knocked out by Roma in the Quarter Final stage, Madrid were able to rest players and literally stroll to a victory in La Liga. Barcelona failed to push them all the way, and could only manage a third place finish behind a relatively weak Villarreal side.Spain were truly magnificent in conquering Europe and determining that the Henri Delaunay Trophy would rest gloriously in Madrid for the next four years. They certainly played the most attractive football in the competition, and looked to score and create chances in every game. But, perhaps their success was also a result of the relative weakness of the Spanish Championship and poor performances by Spanish teams in European competition. The positive effect this had on the national side in the form of rest for the players, both physically and mentally is undeniable.The success and strength of the Premiership is great for spectators and fans. Every game is contested. But perhaps the pace and tempo of EPL games is playing a detrimental role for national sides with a wealth of Premier League stars. We only need to look at Sweden's dire performance against Russia in the Quarter-final stage. The players, most of whom ply their trade in England's top division, looked physically drained, and were visibly dismantled by a fresher, and more energetic Russian side.The solution is a reduction in the number of teams in the EPL from 20 to 18 sides, following the examples of the French, German and Spanish governing bodies. This reduction in teams would ease the heavy schedule in England and enable the players to enjoy a Christmas break.If we want to see England qualify for the World Cup in 2010, and more Premiership players contesting major finals, the gap that seems to be widening between the Premiership and other European Leagues needs to close. And soon.