Top 7 misconceptions in European football

They seem true. They seem perfectly plausible. But things are not always as they seem. So be wary, and take what you read with a grain of salt, for these fait accomplis are deceptive and specious.But for now, content yourself with the 7 misconceptions and myths that plague European football. DISCLAIMER: The views expressed here are the author's and do not represent those of Sportskeeda.

#1 Iker Casillas is still an elite goalkeeper

Iker Casillas is now just a shadow of the goalkeeper he once was

The bigger they are, the harder they fall. And the harder it is for us to believe that they can fall.

But Iker Casillas has indeed fallen, and fallen hard. You may not admit it, the rankings may not suggest it, the world may not endorse it, but the fact remains that Casillas is no longer a member of the ‘Elite Four’, or even the Elite 14. Yet, the widespread opinion is that he remains one of the best in the world.

For a player who started two games more than Sachin Tendulkar in the La Liga last season, he is grossly overqualified, with every award and achievement under the sun, under his belt. While his heroics ensured Real Madrid a fairytale Champions League and Copa del Rey triumph last season, his armour is all but dismantled.

It would be near blasphemy to lambaste Casillas any further, but it would be unfair to him and his achievements to lie and say that he’s still among the best. All good things must come to an end. So has the legacy of Casillas. You’d be foolish to live in denial.

#2 The Serie A is one of the \'top 5\'

The Serie A does not deserve to be part of this selection here, considering all that has befallen it.

Just like Italy, the once-puissant Serie A is hitting new lows with the recession. Football in Italy seems to be at an all-time nadir.

Being the third most successful country in Champions League since its inception in 1992/93, Italy has asserted itself as one of Europe’s heavyweights over the better part of the last half century. Yet, the cesspool that is now Italian football, rank with racism, rioting and what not, is not deserving of a spot in Europe’s prestigious ‘top 5’ leagues for a multitude of reasons.

Firstly, Italian football simply isn’t of the highest level any more. The country had only one representative in the knockout stages last season and Milan lost 5-1 on aggregate to Atletico Madrid., and since Inter Milan’s victory at the turn of the decade, no Italian club have been able to progress beyond the quarter-finals.

With the Milan clubs completely falling from grace, and Roma back in the competition after a long time, Juventus, who last revelled in European glory nearly twenty years ago, are Italy’s solitary Champions League hope. Such is the bleak status of Italian football’s future.

Secondly, the Serie A is a cesspool, unworthy of representing European football. The league is rampant with hooliganism, whistleblowers (more like banana-throwers), not to mention match-fixing allegations, thus besmirching the face of European football. How can such a league be allowed to stand for anything, let alone football?

The Serie A is down for the count, it’s gasping for air. How, oh how, can one still consider it as one of Europe’s top 5 leagues?

#3 Stoke City football

No more a longball team, is it now Stoke?

As flattering as it is to have a brand of football named after you, Ryan Shawcross and Co. aren’t exactly flattered with the ‘Stoke City football’ label. This stereotype includes –

a) Assaulting, stamping and attempting to dismember opposition players (Aaron Ramsey, for instance).

b) Kicking the ball as hard and far as possible in the unlikely event of winning position.

c) Providing employment opportunity to anyone upwards of 6 feet 2 inches and 88 kilograms.

d) Not scoring, unless with a header.

While the Potters have been guilty of doing all of the above, each to a different extent, it is not only unfair to them to revile their style of play, but it is also incorrect to do so. Because believe it or not, Stoke City no longer employ any of the above strategies. They play an extremely attractive brand of football. The Potters now have panache players the likes of Arnautovic, Assaidi, Diouf, Odemwingie and Bojan. Gone are the pointless, blind crosses that you associated them with.

Stoke scored the least goals for any Premier League side from headers last season. ‘Nuff said. It’s time to throw the ‘Stoke City football’ stereotype out the window.

#4 Real Madrid have no youth system

Juan Mata and Alvaro Negredo, both products of the Real Madrid academ

Before I make my argument trying to bust this particularly firm myth, I must concede that Fiorentino Perez is no miser. He would much rather turn out his deep pockets than scour his own coop for talents.

That fact has never been in question, and that is, by no means a misconception. Let us get that out of the way.

Over the years, the Los Blancos have received much stick for being unable to produce talent like their counterparts from Catalonia, and Real Madrid have been seen as a team without any grassroot-level football or youth academy. The unchallenged belief is that the Real Madrid academy is no match for Barcelona’s La Masia, the Ajax academy or the Southampton academy; hell, even a second division side will probably have a better youth system than the Galacticos.

But it is time to quash that belief, for it is untrue. According to a 2012 report, Real have the third highest number of players plying their trade in Europe’s top five leagues, and that is no mean feat, especially when that club is considered to have a dysfunctional academy. That figure does not account for Real’s new generation of homegrown players, such as Morata, Jese, Jose Rodriguez and Carvajal among several others. And even without those names, Real Madrid still rank higher than the legendary Ajax academy and the recently-publicised Southampton academy.

While it cannot be mentioned in the same breath as the La Masia, and Fiorentino Perez believes that the mountains far away are blue, the fact remains that Real Madrid FC have a world-class academy teeming with world-class talent at their disposal. Stop believing that their kids are a bunch of pushovers.

#5 \'Man U\' is a derogatory, taboo term

It's alright to call Manchester United 'Man U’

The demise of the Busby Babes in 1958 was truly tragic. But to consider that the reason for prohibiting the use of the name ‘Man U’ for England’s most successful club from Greater Manchester is – and I don’t mean any disrespect – laughable.

One of the phrases that led to the tabooing of this name is, “Man U never intended on coming home”, a phrase formulated by rival clubs as a joke, which is also an acronym that spells M.U.N.I.C.H. While humour of this sort is in extremely bad taste, is it worth banning the use of a name for a club?

Well, firstly, by banning the use of the name, the club’s fans are falling prey to the very guetapens that opposition fans intended to ensnare them in – and that is, to acknowledge, or in other words, to be affected by the gibe. If the club’s fans were to be impervious to the dig and not care to dignify it by continuing to use the name, it would make these depraved rival fans’ efforts go in vain.

Secondly, and the reason I used the word ‘laughable’ above, the acronym ‘M.U.N.I.C.H’ is no reason to be offended. If the phrase were phrased “Manchester United never intended on coming home”, would we ban the use of the club’s very name – Manchester United – just because it starts with the same letters?

Or if the phrase were “Macroman Underwear never intended on coming home”, would we ban the use of a patented company’s underwear and its name for the same reason?

There are several instances of the use of “Man U” before the Munich disaster (full list here). In reality, it was more about saving characters in cramped-up newspaper columns than anything else.

Furthermore, the term was also used on club merchandise. Before the days of an official store, in a shed outside Old Trafford. The shop was owned by Sir Matt Busby.

Geoff Bent who died in Munich on a pin which says “Man U”

#6 Barcelona don\'t spend much in the transfer market

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is probably Barcelona's biggest mistake in the transfer market

Barcelona have always been depicted as a club self-sufficient in terms of resources, spending wisely and frugally unlike their impulsive counterparts, Real Madrid. While not exactly the pauper-prince likening, the Barcelona-Real Madrid comparison does bear a loose resemblance to the aforementioned. In truth though, this is nothing like the prince-pauper comparison, for Barcelona are heavy spenders themselves.

Over the course of the last seven seasons, the two clubs have been neck and neck expenditure-wise, with Barcelona spending more on three occasions, Real Madrid spending more on three occasions and one stalemate. This is proof enough of the fact that Barcelona are just as extravagant spenders as Real. In fact, Barcelona have spent more than any Premier League over the last five years. So that’s one myth busted.

Here’s the real deal though: what if I told you that Barcelona are not the wise spenders they are made out to be (in relation to Real)? A number of Barcelona’s big-money buys have turned out to be outright failures like Ibrahimovic, Fabregas (to some extent), Sanchez and more. Whether their transfers have been less successful than Real Madrid’s is relative and subject to interpretation, but there’s no disputing the fact that Barcelona are as prodigal as they get. So that’s two myths busted.

#7 European dominance

There is no such thing as European dominance

Last season it was Spain; it had to be Spain. After all, it was an all-Spanish Champions League final. Spanish football was to enjoy its epoch of dominance. The tabloids wrote it, the people said it. There was no mistaking it.

The season before, it was Germany, it had to be Germany; after all, it was an all-German Champions League final. German football was to enjoy its reign of supremacy. The tabloids wrote it, the people said it. There was no mistaking it.

And then there was partial stasis.

In 07-08 and 08-09, it was England, it had to be England; after all, all four English teams made it to the quarterfinals, and three out of the four semifinalists were English. English football was to enjoy its golden age. The tabloids wrote it, the people said it. There was no mistaking it.

Clearly, there is no such thing as dominance in European football. The tabloids do not write it, the people do not say it. There is absolutely no mistaking it.