Nota de Prensa
WED 08.02.2017
The High Council for Sport (CSD) today played host to the unveiling of the latest edition of the Football Transfer Review, a regular report produced by Prime Time Sport. Taking centre stage at the event were Fernando Puig de la Bellacasa, the CSD's assistant director general of professional sport and financial control, LaLiga president Javier Tebas and Prime Time Sport CEO Esteve Calzada. The review gathers data on the main transfers in European football, including a breakdown of the 2016/17 winter transfer window, as well as providing an analysis on the variables influencing squad planning and recruitment.
The Prime Time Sports CEO outlined some of the report's most notable findings, such as the fact that "only €18 million was spent on signings in LaLiga Santander in the winter window, the lowest figure in the top leagues, as retaining talent and financial control were prioritised." In response, the LaLiga president commented that: "Thanks to LaLiga's financial controls and the centralised sale of broadcasting rights, the ball game has changed: the clubs can now invest more of their money, whether to buy players or towards other needs like stadium redevelopments, of which many are being undertaken." For his part, Puig de la Bellacasa stressed that, as shown by the report, while Spanish clubs were previously focused on survival, now they have the leeway to make more strategic decisions. On this note, he remarked that: "The fact that sales are down confirms clubs' ability to retain talent; the clubs no longer have to sell their players, which is all thanks to the financial balance that has been struck."
Calzada explained to those present that the Premier League has fallen to fourth place in net spend, following the sale of players for €282m, which offsets the €277m spent on new acquisitions. "With regards to LaLiga Santander clubs, €495m was spent on new players in the summer and winter transfer windows of the 2016/17 season combined, the third largest outlay in the league's history," stated Calzada.
"Clubs are spending less because they are operating more maturely. And the results are proving very positive – just look at the UEFA club competition winners, and the presence of LaLiga teams in these competitions," explained Tebas. He added to this by mentioning that such a shift in the clubs' circumstances means that "the economic landscape has also changed for investors. We can guarantee them peace of mind when they invest, as there are financial controls and guarantees in place."
Mr Puig de la Bellacasa also offered his views on the current situation of LaLiga's clubs: "Presenting these statistics to you four years ago would simply not have been possible. The clubs can now take business-minded decisions, and this is thanks to the restructuring carried out by LaLiga, with the support of the CSD."
The presentation ended by highlighting some impressive aspects of LaLiga Santander. Athletic Club can once again boast of having the most fertile breeding ground for youngsters in Europe, with 21 academy graduates making first-team appearances this term. "Clubs such as Real Sociedad and UD Las Palmas are following their lead. In addition, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid continue to set the standard in Europe in this respect, although fewer academy players are making first-team appearances." Another interesting statistic unearthed by this report is that for the first time in eight years, LaLiga Santander leads the chart for the best goals-per-game ratio out of the big leagues in Europe, with 2.91 strikes per match. This is a reversal in fortunes, since this average had fallen in the previous two seasons.
© LALIGA - 2017