Sevilla boss Luis Garcia Plaza says Real Madrid and Barcelona are making La Liga ‘boring’

Sevilla manager Luis Garcia Plaza says the dominance of Real Madrid and Barcelona has widened the gap in La Liga and reduced the excitement of the competition.

Garcia Plaza believes the top three are maintaining such a high level that they could finish close to 90 points, leaving the rest of the division well behind.

“I can see how the top three teams – Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico – are maintaining their level,” he told Marca. “I made some predictions a few days ago and, at this rate, it seems they will get close to 90 points.

“There is a huge difference. They are managing a league in which two teams, Real Madrid and Barcelona, have absolute superiority. Atletico Madrid are a little behind them, but they are still far superior to the team in fourth place.”

The Sevilla boss said Real Betis, Villarreal, Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad formed the next group, with the remaining clubs operating at a lower level.

“Then come Real Betis, Villarreal, Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad,” he added. “The rest of the teams are at a lower level. They make the Spanish league boring.”

Despite his criticism of the competitive imbalance, Garcia Plaza said Sevilla must continue targeting a high finish and believes the fight among the closely matched teams will be intense.

“We hope to play in European competitions because that would be the reward for good performances,” he said. “It is very difficult to compete in three competitions because you need a large squad and you do not train very much, but it would mean we had produced a great season.”

Garcia Plaza also reflected on the expectations surrounding Sevilla before the campaign began. He said the club had struggled to assemble its squad during the summer but had nevertheless produced positive results and remained on the right path.

“The team was suffering from a severe lack of players, but we achieved great results,” he said. “So far, we are going in the right direction and keeping our humility.

“We are unquestionably one of the biggest clubs in Spain, but the team has not yet reached the required level. We must give everything to achieve that.”

Sevilla are hoping for a more stable season after last term’s battle to avoid relegation, which they eventually survived by a margin of more than 40 points. Garcia Plaza believes the positions in the table can still change significantly as the season progresses.

He identified bottom club Malaga, on 5 points, as the only side currently appearing to have fallen slightly away from the rest. However, he warned against treating their position as settled, saying they had a capable manager and players who could improve their situation.

“The teams are very close in level,” Garcia Plaza said. “Winning one match can move you a long way up the table.”