Money and La Liga

Successes in the field of sport are dependent on a country’s wealth; and nowhere is that more true than in the case of soccer clubs. During the recent swimming championships, seven out of the 10 countries that won most medals are also on the top-10 list of economies with the highest GDP: the United States, China, Russia, France, Germany, Australia and Brazil. Similarly, for soccer clubs, success is ever more dependent on how much money they are worth. Real Madrid and Barcelona have won 70 percent of the 82 Liga championships ever held. This trend is growing: in the first 25 championships, the two teams won roughly half. For the last 25, only three were not won by either Real or Barcelona. They are currently on a winning streak of the last nine championships — and in fact, for the last six, one of the teams has won with the other as runner-up.

This trend is all about the clubs’ ability to sign top-class players. This is directly related to their income, an essential part of which is down to TV rights. Madrid and Barcelona receive 160 million euros a year for these rights, which is nearly 10 times more than the average received by the remaining teams. The crisis has had an effect on all of Spain’s soccer clubs, but not in equal proportions. During the season when the highest amount was spent, 2007-2008, signings by Real Madrid and Barcelona accounted for 45 percent of the total; this year, they make up 56 percent — and that’s without including the rumored 100 million euros likely to be spent by Real Madrid should it end up signing Gareth Bale from English club Tottenham Hotspur.

TV rights are, of course, an essential part of the game in other European leagues, but nowhere else is there such a huge disproportion in terms of how that money is shared out. But this does not seem to diminish the interest of the fans. Armed with the knowledge that the Liga title will simply be reserved for Barcelona or Real Madrid, other objectives — such as reaching the continental tier or avoiding relegation — are converted into heroic tasks, and see all the teams playing for something decisive every single week.

Verge of bankruptcy

But in the long term, the inevitability of what is happening at the top of the league may end up trying the patience of those at the bottom. Many clubs in the middle or at the bottom of the table are on the verge of bankruptcy, which would explain why most have ended up selling more players than they have bought this year. Among those that have been sold are goal-scorers from Atlético (Falcao), Sevilla (Negredo) and Valencia (Soldado), as well as Llorente from Athletic, who is being let go for no fee. The effects that this asset stripping will have are yet to be seen, but thus far it means that eight of the players from the Spanish national team who played against Ecuador last Wednesday will now be playing in foreign leagues.