Once again, a new season is upon us and thanks to the upcoming World Cup, this can only mean that many games are on tap from now until May. However, these games will consist of regular league matches, Copa del Rey matches, and European cup matches with limited rest in between. Let’s not forget about the burdensome Spanish national team matches. At a time when players and managers are complaining about fatigue and exhaustion, maybe we need a nice remedy for this congestion. However, the Spanish League needs more than a remedy. It needs a complete overhaul.
For many fans, the Spanish League is considered one of the best in the world. However, the way it is run and promoted ranks amongst the worst. The same criticism is unleashed by fans and critics year after year. The criticism range from poor scheduling of matches, the poor promotion of the league, the poor spread of wealth from the TV revenue, and the poor financial status of the clubs. Eventually, the league is going to have to pull its head out of the sand and get serious in fixing the league.
One of the biggest problems of the Spanish League that has raised the ire of many is the fixtures. The league has this nasty habit of not announcing the exact date and kick off times till perhaps two weeks or a week before the actual match takes place. Obviously this deters fans of the visiting team from making the journey. The other issue is the absurd late kick off times. For example, the upcoming Supercopa matches between FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid will take place on Wednesday evenings at 11 PM. 11 PM on a weekday? Is the league really expecting fans to attend a match that ends at 1 AM on a Thursday? It doesn’t make sense to have matches kicking off on Sunday nights and Monday nights at 10 PM.
Moreover, the way the league promotes itself borders on the line of farcical and laziness. Do they even try to promote themselves to the rest of the world? I am not expecting them to overdo it in a similar manner as the English Premier League does. But one cannot disregard the league’s lack of effort in bringing more attention to its league. They seem content to rest on their laurels and let the results of their clubs speak for themselves.
The other issue is the lack of sharing the wealth from the TV deals that both Barça and Real Madrid enjoy a huge piece of the pie. Each get over €100 million annually from their TV deals while the other 18 teams get the crumbs. The league president needs to put his foot down and force the big two to reduce their share. What good would a league be if the other teams cannot compete with the big two in the long run? I am not buying the threats of either team joining another league. The league must attempt to level the playing field somehow.
Furthermore, the other issue that we are witnessing more and more clubs facing is their battle for survival financially. The league not only needs to make sure the TV money is shared properly, but the league needs to be reduced to 16 teams. That would ensure that the other teams would get a bigger share of the TV deal. However, I am not a firm believer that more money for the clubs would solve all the problems. We have seen clubs such as Deportivo and Real Zaragoza suffer thanks to poor management and spending. Is giving them more money the answer? Sure, it could help them pay off the debts at a faster rate but there are no assurances they will spend it any wiser either. Until the inept and at times corrupt officials are tossed from managing the clubs, we will continue to see the downward spiral of many clubs.
Thus, the league should seriously consider reducing the number of teams in the league to 16. This move would ensure that more clubs would get a better share of the proceeds from the TV deal, provide fewer fixtures for the players, and also provide for a more entertaining league. Today’s footballers are subjected to over 50 games or more which is the cost of being successful on both the domestic and European stage. We also cannot ignore the additional international matches that see the players from Real Madrid, Barcelona and others fly across the globe to represent Spain and other countries. Certainly, one cannot feel a bit concerned about the long term fitness of the players. The best solution would be to reduce the number of matches for the sake of the players.
With 16 teams, there would also be excitement throughout the season where every game would then matter. There would still be 3 teams facing the risk of relegation while the remaining 13 teams battle it out for spots in UEFA Champion’s League and Europa League and also fight to avoid being relegated. What is the point of having a team positioned 11th in their league that knows there is no chance for qualifying into Europe or face the risk of relegation after half the season has been played? This would ensure that there would never be a dull moment for any club.
Ultimately, we want a stronger league. Critics keep mocking the Spanish League as a two team league, but quite frankly so have most leagues in Europe over the years. The Spanish League needs to be proactive and not reactive and take the drastic steps needed to ensure the health of its league. A minor remedy is not enough. The league needs a complete overhaul.
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