Javier Tebas at the 'Day of the Professional Leagues'

This Thursday took place with the heads of each of the four professional sports leagues in Spain: Liga de Fútbol Profesional (Professional Football League, LFP), Liga Nacional de Fútbol Sala (National Futsal League, LNFS), Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto (Association of Basketball Club, ACB) and Asociación de Clubes Españoles de Balonmano (Association of Spanish Handball Clubs, ASOBAL).

The president of the LFP, Javier Tebas, spoke about the current state of the national game. "The LFP must be a competition regulator, especially economically speaking. In 15 years there hadn’t been any record of financial problems at clubs, and since we’ve arrived there are now five or six. Clubs are now realising that they need an external regulator, because if not, the competition becomes distorted. It’s tough, but a necessary regulation".

He seconded the recently re-announced head of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Sala, Javier Lozano, who advocated converting the leagues to "genuine units of administration. For three years we've been reaping the benefits, with which we help the clubs. But to do this we’ve stopped being a federation and changed into a business. There is no bureaucracy, and everyone pitches in. For this we’re not in debt to anyone".

A distinct vision was reflected by Esther Queraltó, general secretary of the ACB, who wants to find "a real independence for the leagues, because the Ley Del Deporte (sports law) impedes it. It's a private activity that has been made public, because the Autonomous Parliaments have legislated that they must reach accordance with the federations. This has resulted in a de facto closed league, and as such in recent years there have been promotions that haven’t happened because of the obligation of having to pay a set fee in order [to get promoted]. You get the feeling that clubs set certain economic rules to kill themselves rather than abiding by them".

The secretary of the ASOBAL, Ricard Hijós, gave a speech where he assured that the sport is safe "because only in three cities handball and football teams coincide, and in another three handball and basketball. Our sport has developed in places where it has been embraced and the teams can survive with subsidies and private sponsorship".