A notion popped into my head while writing a column for The National about how this looks like it could/should be the best season in the history of the UAE’s domestic soccer league:

An imbalance exists in many countries between the leagues those nations deserve … and the league that they have. In both directions: Too good as well as too bad.

We could make a case, for instance, that the UAE has a much better league than it deserves, given low attendance and the country’s fairly low profile in world play. This is a pretty serious league now, with lots of players making lots of money, and high-profile coaches scattered across the landscape.

Where else is the domestic league vs. country interest out of balance? Time for some lists.

I would list these countries as having more interest in soccer than their leagues, often poorly run or cash-starved, can support.

1. China. Soccer is the No. 1 sport in China (though basketball is gaining) … and China’s domestic league is awful. The level of play is bad, and the league too often is corrupt and violent. A huge gap here between interest and product.

2.  Canada. This is a country of expats, many of them recent, and soccer is very popular. Yet the country is getting along on Major League Soccer leftovers, with teams only in Vancouver and Toronto.

3. Brazil. They have a pretty good league in Brazil but they ought to have a great one. Because the country’s clubs can’t generate enough cash, the country bleeds out its best players to richer leagues all over the world. More than a dozen of their good players are in the UAE again this season.

4. Argentina. See above. Their players are almost as good and as numerous as Brazil’s but their domestic league is even weaker.

5. Scotland. Football is huge up in the cold soggy north of Britain, but the Scottish League not only has only two teams that have any hope of winning the title, the league is no longer competitive in Europe.

6. Nearly Anywhere in Africa. Man for man, pound for pound, Africa may be the most soccer-crazed continent on the planet, yet most of the countries there have leagues that are badly run and not very good.

Let’s go to a middle ground. Countries and leagues that are about right for each other.

1. England. Masters of the Game, a country which gladly pays high prices for tickets … and the globe’s most interesting league. Fair is fair.

2. Spain. Two of the top clubs for a soccer-mad country, but the mediocrity of everyone who isn’t Barcelona or Real Madrid is becoming a major issue. But the strong two are really strong …

3. Germany. If anything, the Bundesliga might be a teeny bit below German interest. The Germans seem OK with letting England/Spain/Italy spend more money on the game. Could just be generic German fiscal prudence.

4. Italy. The home of calcio has a great league which is sometimes a bit too defensive, which is about how Italians prefer it.

5. Mexico. Not the best league, certainly not the richest, but Mexico’s futbol-loving population and media don’t generate enough revenue for the league to keep all of Mexico’s best players, or lure in top guys from outside, but what they have is competitive and colorful. A good match, actually.

And now, five countries where the league is better than the country deserves, where a lack of interest in a good product is obvious.

1. UAE. David Trezeguet and Baniyas, the No. 2 team in the league last year, played their first match of the seasona at Al Shabab in Dubai last week, and about 25 people showed up. Seriously. Diego Maradona’s coaching debut at Al Jazira, defending champions, drew barely over 3,000 people. Watching Maradona emote was worth the price of admission. (Oh, yeah, they don’t charge admission here.)

2. United States. Major League Soccer does not compare to one of Europe’s Big Five leagues, but it isn’t a bad caliber of the game. Still, most MLS franchises have trouble filling those 20,000-capacity stadiums, and TV ratings for MLS games remain low.

3. France. Arguably the fifth-best league in the world, and the French can’t be bothered. Weak attendance, general disinterest. Parts of the country seem to prefer rugby. Really.

4. India. They have a weak league and a low caliber of play because a country of 1.2 billion with a rising economy can’t be bothered to show any interest. A couple of clubs with rich histories have been shuttered in recent years for lack of even feeble support. Hey, guys, it’s OK to follow a sport other than cricket.

5. Qatar. Similar situation to the UAE. Club executives with money to spend, some top foreigners signed, some nice stadiums — but marginal apparent interest.