Filipe: Dominance of Barca, Real is unfair

Atletico Madrid defender Filipe Luis has claimed that Barcelona and Real Madrid’s duopoly of Spanish football is unfair.

Barca and Real have occupied the top two positions in La Liga for the last five seasons, with the last league winner outside the dominant pair coming in the 2003-04 season when Rafael Benitez led Valencia to success.

Both Barcelona and Real receive significantly more television money than any of their fellow La Liga sides, only enhancing the imbalance between the powerful sides, and those who are struggling.

Filipe, who joined Atletico from Deportivo La Coruna in 2010, does not believe La Liga is the most exciting league in the world because of Barca and Real’s dominance, and claims the title race is not interesting to him in most seasons.

“We are talking about two teams that no-one can compare to,” the Brazilian left-back told AS in a revealing interview.

“It is a tremendous injustice that the league is so unbalanced. That Barca and Madrid have budgets that are so immensely greater increases doubts that this is the best league in the world.

“It is more interesting lower down in the table than it is in the fight for the title.

“(At Atletico) we have to try to fight with our weapons. We, with much work and humility, have barely reached them.

“From humility we have achieved many things, but to fight them is very complicated.”

Filipe’s comments follow Atletico manager Diego Simeone ruling out a title push for his side last month.

The 28-year-old is still positive when quizzed about Atletico’s team, though, and believes they can achieve success on at least one front this season, be it in cup competition or Europe.

“The team is in a great moment. The fact that most of the team is the same as three years ago helps. Almost all the other teams have been dismantled and lost many players and we have not,” he said.

“We have maintained our core. (Radamel) Falcao (who left to join Monaco in the close-season) was the great reference for last season but now we have David Villa, who will give us a lot.

“The team is playing the same way as two years ago. We have had many training sessions and years together.

“It shows that we are familiar and that we have not changed much from year to year.”