DPA/London

Poking fun at their long-time rivals, many papers said in the run-up that this year’s final is “perfect for the English. A German team has to lose”.

Apart from that, the English had not much to laugh about in Europe’s showcase competition and neither did the Spanish or Italians as Munich and Dortmund made their presence felt.

But Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said it was too early to say that the Bundesliga had replaced the Premier League as Europe’s top division.

“Let’s not forget as well that Dortmund could have gone out against Malaga with normal refereeing,” Wenger said in reference to a controversial quarter-final injury-time winner. “You cannot take one event and go to general conclusions.”

The Telegraph also described Bayern as special but added that Germany’s elevation in football terms was deserved.

“Money still talks but, as Spain and England have found out recently, it increasingly seems to be speaking German.

“The German league has high attendances, cheap tickets, good atmosphere and a lot of talented, dynamic young domestic players playing a direct and exciting brand of football,” it said.

In Spain, many had hoped for a Clasico at Wembley between Barcelona and Real Madrid, but Barca crashed against Bayern in the semis on a humiliating 7-0 aggregate, while Real were edged out 4-3 by Dortmund.

The official version is that La Liga is still - according to the propaganda of the Liga de Futbol Profesional, which runs the league - “the best league in the world”.

But former Spain coach Jose Antonio Camacho said that “maybe it is time for us to start questioning whether we really do have the best league in the world,” and Barca assistant coach Jordi Roura said that “The German teams ... seem to be establishing their domination right now.”

Radio Marca said German football is stronger financially than Spain because its clubs are not allowed to take out excessive credit and run up massive debts like in La Liga.

Italian football buffs have long stopped calling the Serie A the best league in the world. Their memories go back to 2003, when Andriy Shevchenko, one of the many foreign stars then playing in Italy, netted a last winning penalty in a shootout that allowed AC Milan to beat Juventus and lift a seventh continental trophy.

After that first all-Italian final, and despite the triumph of Inter Milan over Bayern in the 2010 final, Italy’s UEFA ranking has slipped in the past decade, with Germany moving past into third place.

Italy’s only consolation is that Nicola Rizzoli has been appointed to referee the final in London, with four other Italians as linesmen and goal-line officials.