Every year the reducing number of English players in the Premiership is seized upon by critics. But looking at the figures for how many have played in the Champions League reveals the real dearth of home-born talent in the country’s top sides.
This year just 21 English players took part in the Champions League group stage, one fewer than last year and twelve fewer than in the recent high of 33 during the 2012-13 season.
Spain and Germany are the two football associations with a similar UEFA coefficient score to England. There were more than twice the number of German players (51) as English and with 75, Spain has fielded more players than any other country.
Despite that it is a non-European side the tops the ranking for most time spent on the pitch. Brazilian players have clocked up 22,659 cumulative minutes of gametime compared to 21,933 for Spaniards.
Part of the reason that England fares so badly is the lack of players picked by its own clubs. Arsenal has fielded the most with seven. Compare that to the 11 Germans picked by both FC Schalke 04 and Borussia Dortmund.
Barcelona has picked 12 different Spanish players, which is second only to Athletic Bilbao’s 19 (although this is because of the restrictive selection policy of the Basque-only club). Manchester City has picked just three English players, fewer than the number of French ones they have selected.
It is also due to the lack of representation at sides on the continent. Ashley Cole at Roma is the only English player to have been on the pitch during this year’s group stage for a non-English side.
The map below shows every country that has had a player in this year’s Champions League. Ludogorets, who finished bottom of Liverpool’s group were the home to the Canadian (Milan Borjan) and the Madagascan (Anicet).
