La Liga president Javier Tebas has weighed in on the state of Spanish football and the growing influence of the Premier League.
Speaking at a Business Sports forum in Madrid, Tebas warned that the Premier League is at serious financial risk despite their current global dominance.
“When you invest poorly, it can be devastating,” he said (via Mundo Deportivo). “The Premier League is generating inflation because it’s paying more than what you earn.
“Watch out for the Premier League! All that glitters is not gold.”
Tebas praised the financial balance of Spanish football. La Liga currently generates €4 billion annually, level with the Bundesliga and significantly higher than Serie A’s €2.7bn.
While La Liga’s annual earnings pale in comparison to the Premier League’s revenue, Tebas praised Spain’s strict economic controls for keeping clubs on stable ground.
“We try to ensure that the debt is sustainable and that clubs do not tend to disappear,” Tebas added, pointing to talents such as Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal as proof that La Liga can keep stars.
Tebas admitted that Spanish football lags behind in hospitality infrastructure, saying ‘there’s still a lot of room for improvement’.
Meanwhile, La Liga’s plan to host a league game between Villarreal and Barcelona in Miami on December 21 has sparked a heated debate.
Despite the growing backlash from fans and players, Tebas claims that the league is waiting on UEFA’s response.
He threw his weight behind the idea despite being one of the leading voices against last summer’s Club World Cup tournament in the United States.
“We expect a response from UEFA soon because the entire marketing, commercial, and other strategies take time,” he said.
“American fans also pay to watch their Spanish team, and they suffer for their team.
“It’s the brand’s emergence in the United States, which is the second-largest market after Spain. It’s not just the game, which is the excuse we use to increase the value of the competition.”
Tebas vehemently rejected criticism that moving games abroad would betray tradition, claiming that La Liga clubs are global brands.
