Why Have South American Players Historically Not Performed In the EPL?

South America is a hotbed of talent when it comes to the biggest sport in the world. In many parts of the continent, it’s not a sport; it’s a religion. For decades, some of the best South American players have plied their trade in European football to get better opportunities and show their talent to a more global audience.

South American players have truly electrified the premier league for 30 years. Players like Aguero, Suarez, Tevez, and Sanchez have changed the fortunes of the clubs they played with, bringing their trademark South American flair.

However, for every Aguero and Suarez, we have Robinho and Crespo or Di Maria and Falcao. Players who showed a lot of promise and were destined for stardom – and eventually went on to achieve it elsewhere – but fell short for one reason or another. Why is it that some of the best players from the continent are not able to live up to expectations of the Englishe game?

Style of Play

The English game has evolved considerably since the inception of the premier league, especially in the past 10 decades. Teams that once thrived on the ‘play out wide, cross the ball in, and let the attackers do their magic’ are not able to stay competitive anymore. That’s why you have even small clubs like Wolves, Southampton, and Leeds playing a more tactical style of football.

But that was not the case during the 90s and 2000s, and that’s a major reason why some of the best players of the era failed to succeed in the premier league.

Legendary players like Hernan Crespo, Robinho, Diego Forlan and Juan Sebastian Veron found it difficult to find their feet in the premier league as they were victims of an era where football was played differently in England. Even as recently as the 2010s, Angel Di Maria, Radamel Falcao, and Gonzalo Higuan failed to adapt to the English system. Radamel Falcao was for example a consistent scorer in Spain, France and Portugal but failed completely in Manchester United.

Culture

South American players come from countries that have been influenced heavily by European countries like Spain, Italy, and Portugal. Many South Americans are descendants from these countries and therefore, share similar cultures, traditions, and language.

Hence, it’s no surprise that Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao were godly in the Spanish League, only to fail miserably in the premier league. These players are able to adapt to the lifestyle in Spain, Italy, and Portugal because there is a sense of familiarity in these countries.
The culture and traditions in England are vastly different, so in many ways, South American footballers feel like they’re in a foreign land. The culture shock is too much for some which leads them to find greener pastures elsewhere.

The Weather

You probably knew this was coming! At this point it almost feels like a joke but it’s true to an extent. People who are used to countries where the winters are chilly and summers are hot would find it difficult to adjust in a place where winters are freezing and summers are rainy.

But all this is changing. South American players are now at the forefront of major clubs across the premier league as more teams adopt a style of football that allows them to be at their best.