Humility was never likely to be the instinctive response of the Barclay's Premier League when clubs from other countries were accumulating the glory.

It must have caused a tier of senior executives to wince when the Champions League final at Wembley was contested by two German teams, who in turn had overcome two Spanish sides in the semi-finals. The merest whiff of fading grandeur tends to send Premier League teams into a state of frenzied spending, and the return of Jose Mourinho to Chelsea is all but considered a national triumph for England.

Of all Europe's major leagues, it is the top flight in England that most readily measures its status as an expression of financial might. The ethos of Barcelona, which combines a certain purity of purpose in the way the virtues of the club's youth set-up are extolled with a voracious commercial ambition, is unique among the leading clubs. Only Manchester United come close to having the patience or the commitment to rearing their own. Barca's dominance, and the global captivation with their style and haughty attitude, was a direct challenge to the Premier League's self-styled eminence.

No league that considers itself the "best in the world" is likely to suffer from an inferiority complex. Yet it was Germany who supplanted Spain this summer as the nation that commands the greatest respect from the purists and the hipsters who pass judgment on the game's hierarchy. Bayern Munich have always considered themselves football royalty, while the side they defeated in the Champion's League final, Borussia Dortmund, had a cult following that has easily translated into widespread appeal. Barca can still spend a commanding fee for Neymar, while Bayern have replaced their treble-winning coach, Jupp Heynckes, with the most revered thinker in the game, Pep Guardiola. Still, though, the Premier League simply takes stock, draws in its resolve, and reaches purposefully for the cheque book.

Glory and triumph are the game's pursuits, but showbusiness is captivating, too. Mourinho wanted to return to England for family as much as professional reasons, although his heart had been set on the Manchester United job once Sir Alex Ferguson retired. Going back to Chelsea will have required a form of compromise that neither he nor Roman Abramovich have become used to, but the reconciliation is in keeping with the values of English football, at least at its summit, where money, power, glamour and arrogance have become defining qualities.

Mourinho talked about improving the "players and the team" when he was announced as the club's new manager on Monday. He was at pains to emphasise the project he has taken on, and the four-year deal he has signed, but nobody was fooled. Abramovich reverted to Mourinho because no other manager of his generation is more of a certainty to deliver success, and he will be granted a budget to facilitate that.

Manchester City, having dispensed with Roberto Mancini because they felt the Italian's abrasive nature was not in keeping with the philosophy they want to project, are still prone to undermining that ethos themselves. They want to be a major club, like Barcelona, that operates with a certain style, grace, morality and sustainability. Casually spending £15m on Jesus Navas is merely a minor consideration to a club that measures its resources in the billions of pounds. Nonetheless, in appointing Manuel Pelligrini, another of Europe's most sought-after coaches, as manager, they have raised the standards of their own ambition. Other signings will follow as the Chilean reshapes his team.

The elite has all but closed ranks, and if Spain is considered the home of aesthetic values, and Germany of a pragmatic application of style, then England takes a punt on the game's endless ability to generate cash. That's what pays for Mourinho, Navas and the other additions to the cast list who will arrive this summer.

Manchester United responded to Ferguson's retirement by taking a different tact and appointing David Moyes, the successful manager of a more modest club, when they might have opted for Mourinho or one of the other top rank names. Yet, like Barcelona, there was a calculation being made with the brand, its own sense of itself and what sets it apart from other clubs. So United made a logical rather than a grandstanding choice. Moyes still has to contend with the heightened attention that comes with being in charge at Old Trafford, since the dramas of Wayne Rooney's future at the club are already being played out in public.

The Scotsman will adapt. He does not have a good head-to-head record with Mourinho, but at least now their resources have evened up. The football media will feast on the rivalry between the two men. Chelsea have won the Champions League and the Europa League since Mourinho was last manager at Stamford Bridge, but already it feels as though the club has only now truly returned to the spotlight.

Bayern are the kings of Europe, but the self-absorption of the English game barely notices. Even when Roy Hodgson struggles to field a national team of any great worth, the response is a shrug of the shoulders. "We have the Premier League", is the response, "and it's the best league in the world." It is certainly the most eye-catching, but that doesn't always mean the same thing.