FIFA World Cup 2022: La Liga players dominate semis

Jurgen Klinsmann

International football is dominated by leagues and there's always a debate about which one's better. Is the multi-million pound English Premier League (EPL) superior or is the La Liga with its El Clasico better?

Is the star-studded PSG-dominated French Ligue 1 the best or does the German Bundesliga or Italy's Serie A rule the roost? Some interesting numbers from the World Cup's four semi-finalists may offer an indication. Among the four teams left in the fray, there are 22 players who feature in the La Liga, while the second-highest number is from the EPL (16 players).

Then there are an equal number of Serie A and Ligue 1 players remaining (14 each) while the Bundesliga player list is at 13. There are as many as six Bayern Munich players left in the competition while it's an equal five each for Atletico Madrid and Sevilla FC with Dinamo Zagreb coming in next at four.

Klinsmann slammed for penalty talk

Former German forward Jurgen Klinsmann was criticised by a section of the British media for justifying England skipper Harry Kane's penalty miss. Klinsmann, who is the Head of the FIFA Technical Study Group, said recently that Kane missed his (second) penalty against France because the VAR had delayed the process and that could have played on the player's mind.

The report, comparing Klinsmann's observations to "pub chat" reminded him that Kane's first penalty, which he successfully converted, was also a consequence of a delayed VAR call.

Also Read: FIFA World Cup 2022: Alvarez's brace, Messi's goal help Argentina beat Croatia 3-0 to enter final