Javier Tebas: "We're going to continue with good governance practices, the internationalisation of LaLiga, and by giving fans a 360-degree experience"

Javier Tebas gave a talk on Monday at the headquarters of the 21st Century Club in Madrid titled Where is the Professional Football Industry Headed in Spain? Gerardo Seeliger, the president of the 21st Century Club, was charged with welcoming the attendees and did so by praising the work of LaLiga and its president, Javier Tebas, and the efforts of Miguel Cardenal at the helm of the High Council for Sport (CSD).

"What football and LaLiga have achieved in Spain is something that has not been seen in any other country. I have to underscore Javier Tebas's work as the administrator," assured Miguel Cardenal, the president of the CSD, in his introduction to the talk. Among other aspects of Javier Tebas's term in office, he praised the club financial controls and the administration of broadcasting rights. "I have to underscore the LaLiga president's capacity for the job and his sense of responsibility. He has a project for improvement and change, a roadmap and a set of values, something which is very important," concluded Cardenal.

Javier Tebas, the president of LaLiga, began by explaining the foundations of the change which he is ushering in at the helm of Spanish football. "Club financial controls were the bedrock, then came the centralised sale of broadcasting rights to obtain fairer distribution. That's how the change began." He went on to say that LaLiga also made a commitment to fulfilling its statutes with these first steps.

In addition to financial controls and the centralised sale of rights, he explained that the core lines of action to transform football undertaken three years ago were "offering a quality product; the fight against match-fixing, against violence in stadiums and against piracy; the internationalisation of LaLiga and its brand; and the establishment of good governance practices." He also stressed the government's creation of a favourable legal framework which has helped football, and he gave some figures on the industry: "We account for 0.75% of the GDP and this is forecast to reach 1.15% in 2020. Football activity has generated over 140,000 direct and indirect jobs." As for the achievements made in recent years, Tebas assured that, "Club debts to the Tax Agency have been reduced, something that was incredibly important, and barely any complaints by players over non-payment are expected this season."

He also revealed part of his strategic plan for the coming years. "From now onwards, we have to consolidate what we have achieved, obtain more subscribers to football on pay TV, continue with good governance and social responsibility practices, promote the LaLiga brand in Spain and abroad, and give fans 360-degree experiences." He explained that the idea is to offer LaLiga fans something extra, not just limited to showing them the match, and gave the example of improved broadcasting with the aerial cameras which have been installed in seven LaLiga stadiums, 360-degree replay cameras, and the various LaLiga games and strategy projects on social media. "This way we can fight more effectively against the threat from the Premier League and the European Super League project," concluded Tebas.