Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

LaLiga releases statement about proposal for breakaway elitist European competition


Tue 20 Apr 2021 | 11:19 AM
Mohamed Helba

LaLiga strongly condemns the recently published proposal for a breakaway, elitist European competition that attacks the principles of open competition and sporting merit which are at the heart of the domestic and European football pyramid.

Today football fans across Europe can dream that their clubs, no matter the size, may

excel, climb to the top and compete at the pinnacle of European football. LaLiga

defends this European tradition of football for all.

The concept proposed by 12 European clubs destroys that dream, shutting the door to the

top of European football, allowing in just an elite few.

LaLiga has a proud, 90-year history as an open, merit-based competition. Millions of

fans around the world follow the 42 clubs of LaLiga Santander and

LaLiga SmartBank.

The success of our competitions has helped football to become a

key contributor to the Spanish economy, accounting for nearly 1.4% of GDP and

providing employment for nearly 200,000 people.

The newly proposed top European competition is nothing more than a selfish,

egotistical proposal designed to further enrich the already super rich.

It will undermine the appeal of the whole game and have a deeply damaging impact

on the immediate and future of LaLiga, its member clubs, and all the entire

footballing ecosystem.

In addition, the breakaway league threatens the rest of Spanish sports to which, in

the current season, LaLiga will contribute more than 126 million euros as part of its

agreement with the Spanish government and the Spanish FA.

This destruction of the European football ecosystem will also ultimately cause the

failure of this new competition and its participating clubs, which have built their

success based on the achievement of sports titles and triumphs, which will now be

more limited.

We use all measures at our disposal and work with all stakeholders to defend the

integrity and future of Spanish football in the best interests of the game.

About LaLiga

LaLiga is a global, innovative and socially responsible organisation, a leader in the leisure and

entertainment sector.

It is a private sports association composed of the 20 teams in LaLiga Santander and 22 in LaLiga SmartBank, responsible for the organisation of these national professional football competitions. In the 2019/2020 season, LaLiga reached more than 2.8 billion people globally.

With headquarters in Madrid (Spain), it is present in 55 countries through 11 offices and 46 delegates. The

association carries out its social action through its Foundation and is the world's first professional

football league with a league for intellectually challenged footballers: LaLiga Genuine Santander.