In the early 90's I was lucky that when I didnt have sky/satellite to watch EPL games on a sunday, I had Serie A to watch instead on normal tv. And that was when Serie A was the best league in the world. But for as far back as I can remember coverage of football from foreign leagues has been a satellite/cable thing, since the late 80's early 90's. Before Sky won the rights to English football, they use to show Spanish & Argentinean football on Screen Sport and Serie A on sky. Then once Sky got the rights to EPL with Gazza signin for Lazio C4 bought the rights to Serie A. Then by the mid 90's Sky got the right to La Liga and have shown it ever since. The only live coverage of European football on normal tv was either when the English teams were allowed back in Europe, or the European Cup final and there was highlights of European Cup games on BBC. Then when it got changed to CL ITV got the highlights package and live games. And if you had satellite/cable you had Eurogoals highlights package of the leagues around europe.
As for the 80's and 90's players > nowdays
I think that when you look at some of the NT's now like Italy, Argentina, Brasil, Portugal, Holland then smaller nations like Romania, Czech Republic Denmark & Bulgaria and then compare the players they had back in those times, it seems the quality doesnt match up.
Italy had Baggio, Del Piero, Zola, Maldini, Baresi then players like then add Totti and Vieri later on in the decade and then compare their players now outside of Pirlo & De Rossi now
Argentina had Diego, Batigol, Redondo, Crespo, Ayala, Zanetti, Veron, now outside of Messi and maybe Mascherano in midfield & Aguero nowdays, they have alot of inconsistent talent like a Banega, Levezzi (good at club level, but at NT not so much),
Brasil this generation seems to be overhyped and chokers. But then you had Real Ronaldo, Romario, Bebeto, Rivaldo, Dinho, Cafu, R Carlos, Aldair. Then you had the misfits like Edmundo, Denilson, Djalminha, Leonardo, midget Juninho, outside of Lucas, Oscar & Neymar nowdays the people above them like the Hulks, Freds are they really as good/talented as the players from 15-20 years ago
Portugal you had Figo, Rui Costa, Joao Pinto, Sa Pinto, Sousa, S Conceicao outside of C dot & the defence which is better now then back then are any of his teammates as good as some of those where
Bulgaria had that world 94 team, but just the main names Stoichkov , Kostadinov, Balakov, none of the present team is even half as good as they were
Czechs they had Nedved, Berger are their present players near to that level, if Rosicky is the only one who comes closest but his career been blighted with injury.
Denamrk had the Laudrups, are any of their players now half as good as those 2? Eriksen has potential but its probably got to leave Ajax to see if hes proper good and likewise with Fischer.
No more
Thats what I think people mean when they say 80's-90's ballers > today
Yeah I know I forgot Holland the 92-96 Ajax team > Holland today