The Athletic FC Podcast

Episode: Are Premier League sides finding the Champions League too easy?
Date: November 6, 2025
Host: Ayo Akimolere
Guests: Michael Cox, James Horncastle

Overview

This episode confronts the question: Is Premier League dominance making the Champions League too easy— and is that a problem for European football? Host Ayo Akimolere is joined by Michael Cox and James Horncastle, who pull apart the financial, structural, and cultural factors fueling English teams’ strong performance in the Champions League’s new “league phase.” They debate whether this is healthy for the competition, scrutinize the impact of the reworked Champions League format, assess if the English advantage is as decisive as it seems, and consider whether any structural fixes are possible or desirable.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Standout Moments from the Champions League Week

[02:04–04:08]

• Michael Cox raves about Mickey Van de Ven’s sensational solo goal against Copenhagen, highlighting its audacity:

  "He had no right to shoot from that position...if you’ve run from your own box, you do get the license to shoot. And I’m pleased he did." (Michael Cox, 02:34)

• James Horncastle picks Lamina Ma’s goal for Barcelona against Bruges, praising his telepathy with Pedri and Barcelona’s ongoing defensive issues:

  "His goal in Bruges was up there...just the control and coordination...but playing this way, I just don't think Barcelona can win the Champions League." (James Horncastle, 03:25)

2. Premier League Dominance: Is It Really a Problem?

[04:08–05:31]

• Michael Cox downplays the issue, noting that while English teams feature heavily in early phases, the latter stages haven’t been overrun by them. He sees the real problem as one of financial disparity damaging the quality of other domestic leagues rather than the Champions League itself:

  "I think the English sides have a huge financial advantage...but I think Premier League’s power over other leagues is more of an issue for domestic leagues..." (Michael Cox, 04:18)

• James Horncastle expands on this, describing Real Madrid as the “royalty of Europe” now cast as the “resistance” to Premier League dominance. He cites the ballooning value of Premier League international TV rights as a destabilizing factor for the rest of Europe:

  "The Premier League is the richest league in the world by a distance...it’s not inevitable a Premier League team will win...but it gives them a better chance...UEFA’s problem is they’re relying on Madrid and PSG to create the appearance of competitive balance." (James Horncastle, 05:31)

3. The New Champions League Format: More English Advantage?

[08:02–10:32]

• Michael Cox suggests the league-phase tweak is part of the issue: with more games (eight instead of six) and wider participation, the rich have more opportunities to prove their superiority:

  "Eight games rather than six basically means the cream rises to the top…with the Premier League’s financial dominance, [the English teams] are all going to finish at least in the first 16 places." (Michael Cox, 08:14)

• On format confusion: Both the host and guests admit that even experts struggle to keep up with how qualification and seeding work under the revamped system:

  "I’m still kind of perplexed by it, even though I did the explainer myself." (Host, 09:43)

4. TV Rights, Coefficients and Places for Big Leagues

[10:32–13:13]

• James Horncastle explains that the system now entrenches Premier League dominance. He notes the Conference League’s creation has, perhaps inadvertently, helped top five leagues rack up coefficient points and gain more Champions League spaces:

  "It does feel to me that the Premier League is set up to top this coefficient..." (James Horncastle, 10:32)

• Michael Cox is skeptical about the logic of rewarding already dominant leagues with extra places. He’d rather see those slots go to lesser nations:

  "This extra spot for a best performing nation...I would happily have this scrapped." (Michael Cox, 13:22)

5. Does the League Phase Matter? How do Teams Treat It?

[18:09–24:03]

• James Horncastle references Carlo Ancelotti’s analysis: win early, then rest and rotate. But with the unpredictable fixtures of the league phase, clubs sometimes have to play strong lineups throughout:

  "It's really higgledy piggledy in terms of the standard of opponent...If you look at who Spurs have played...this doesn’t feel like Champions League to me." (James Horncastle, 18:26)

• Michael Cox says the league phase dilutes the meaning of individual games, reducing jeopardy and excitement:

  "Every game on average has 80% less meaning...I think it takes a while before you get to that point of real drama." (Michael Cox, 20:26)

6. The “Winter Equalizer”

[24:03–25:52]

• James Horncastle argues the crowded English winter schedule is one of the few levelers left—injuries and fatigue can hit Premier League sides hard and blunt their advantage:

  "That fixture pile-up at a time when there is already congestion...can ravage even the deepest squads." (James Horncastle, 24:03)

7. Knockout Stages: Why Don’t English Teams Always Win?

[27:40–32:04]

• Despite the supposed “dominance,” only two English teams have won the Champions League in five years (Chelsea and Man City), and English teams have often struggled to even reach the final.
• James Horncastle attributes Inter’s and Dortmund’s recent finals to overperformance, great coaching, lucky draws, and squad unity, rather than financial might.
• Michael Cox calls English struggles in finals “an odd pattern,” highlighting that when English teams have won, it’s often via all-English finals or by scraping through against the odds:

  "English sides in general, once they get to the Champions League final, I’m struggling to think of any team that’s actually performed really well in the Champions League final once they've got there from England." (Michael Cox, 30:17)

8. English Clubs “Cannibalizing” Europe

[32:04–35:04]

• Host notes the Premier League spent over £3 billion last summer, outmuscling Europe for players, managers, and executives.
• James Horncastle says this undermines continuity and competitiveness elsewhere. Even top continental teams (like Real Madrid and PSG) are signing Bournemouth centre-backs, and the pathway for young talent has shifted:

  "If you look at the two most expensive deals done in Ligue 1 and La Liga in the summer, they were signing Bournemouth center backs." (James Horncastle, 32:24)

9. Why the Premier League Is so Popular

[35:04–36:05]

• Michael Cox — The product is attractive: the league is competitive, has exciting storylines, and allows in investment and talent other leagues shun. This increases foreign TV fees, fueling the cycle.

10. Knockout Format: The Great Leveler

[36:05–37:30]

• Michael Cox reaffirms the unpredictability and drama of the knockout stage as the Champions League’s saving grace:

  "That’s the beauty of a knockout competition...it still comes alive...I think there probably will be more English sides in the last eight…but we’ll have to wait and see." (Michael Cox, 36:13)

11. Inter and the Changing Italian Landscape

[37:13–40:06]

• James Horncastle explains Inter’s recent success comes from squad continuity and a core of Italian players, but this is now under threat. Even the best Italians are now heading to the Premier League:

  "Having a core of really great Italian players is becoming more and more difficult...the Premier League is peeling them away." (James Horncastle, 37:30)

Notable Quotes

• Michael Cox:
  "English sides in general, once they get to the Champions League final, I’m struggling to think of any team that’s actually performed really well..." – (30:17)

• James Horncastle:
  "The Premier League is the richest league in the world by a distance…It is UEFA’s problem, I think, in the short to mid term for the competitive balance of their league." – (05:31)

• Michael Cox:
  "Every game on average has 80% less meaning...I think it takes a while before you get to that point of real drama." – (20:26)

• James Horncastle:
  "Conferences League...allowed Serie A to gain ground...but the Premier League should be winning those competitions, just because...by revenue they are one of the richest clubs in the world." – (10:32)

• Michael Cox:
  "I think there probably will be more English sides in the last eight...But obviously we’ll have to wait and see." – (36:13)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Champions League highlights & standout goals: [02:04–04:08]
• Premier League dominance – is it a real problem?: [04:08–05:31]
• Financial context and Real Madrid as resistance: [05:31–08:02]
• League phase & Champions League format issues: [08:02–10:32]
• Coefficient system & allocation of extra UCL spots: [10:32–13:22]
• Importance & meaning of the new league phase: [18:09–24:03]
• Fixture congestion & winter impact on English teams: [24:03–25:52]
• Why Premier League clubs sometimes underperform in KOs: [27:40–32:04]
• Premier League’s impact on European club ecosystems: [32:04–37:13]
• Final thoughts on Italian clubs and player migration: [37:13–40:06]

Overall Tone and Takeaways

The hosts and guests approach the topic with measured, thoughtful skepticism about English clubs' supposed overwhelming dominance, putting factors into broader historical, economic, and structural context. There's respect for what the Premier League has achieved but candid acknowledgment of the ripple effects on continental football. Above all, there’s agreement that knockout football— unpredictable and dramatic—remains immune to simple financial determinism.

This summary captures the essence, arguments, and personalities of the episode, serving both as a recap and a primer for those interested in the intersection of English football and European competition.