England may not be able to match Spain’s tally of European club triumphs or appearances in finals but this country has established superiority in another area: strength in depth. Tottenham Hotspur can extend England’s advantage for most different clubs becoming European champions when they face Liverpool in the Champions League final, and their mere presence in Madrid on Saturday has increased the nation’s lead over the rest for most clubs to reach the climax of the competition. The progress of Liverpool and Tottenham to this year’s final means that for the 13th time an English team will be European champions. That edges England ahead of Italy into second place but still leaves them five behind Spain’s 18. The number of English appearances in the European…

Source: The Times May 29, 2019 11:15 UTC