Published>Mon, May 10 10 10:07 PM
Spain's top-flight clubs are poised to set up their own division separate from the second tier in a bid to remain competitive with European peers, the professional soccer league (LFP) said on Monday.
The move by Real Madrid, Barcelona and their rivals has been prompted by a spat with some smaller clubs over revenue from audio-visual rights, a key income stream.
After a meeting in Madrid, the LFP, which currently oversees Spain's top two divisions, said agreement had been reached to discuss how to create a separate first division similar to the Premier League or Italy's Serie A.
"The new system of organisation and development will allow a much more attractive and better-run competition than the current one," they said in a statement.
It was unclear if the LFP will have any role in the proposed new first division.
In Spain, clubs negotiate deals with TV companies individually, unlike in rival European leagues, such as the English Premier League, the German Bundesliga and France's Ligue 1, where collective deals are struck and revenue shared.
Real and Barca, the world's two richest clubs, rake in half the available cash, with deals worth about 150 million euros ($201 million) a season, leaving the rest, some of whom are in dire financial trouble, to fight over the scraps.
Mechanisms would be established to control club finances and ensure ways of helping clubs in lower divisions if they were relegated and got into difficulties, the statement said.
"A series of working meetings will start from June 21 to study the best way of putting (the plan) into practice," the LFP said, adding that the goal was to reach an accord before the start of next season.
As sports daily reported on Monday that the clubs in the new first division would share TV cash, with each getting a fixed amount, a figure based on audience share and a further sum according to their final league position.
However, Real and Barca have repeatedly said they are unwilling to accept a system of collective bargaining, arguing that it will hurt their competitiveness in European competition.
The current standings in La Liga underscore their dominance over TV revenue, which allows them to buy the top players and pay the highest wages.
Barca lead on 96 points, Real are second on 95 and Valencia trail by 27 points in third on 68.
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