LaLiga is renowned for its rich history, iconic clubs, and world-class talent. However, beneath the surface, the league grapples with several significant challenges that threaten its integrity and global reputation.
The quality of play is subpar, stadiums are partially empty due to high ticket prices, and many teams are in financial turmoil. Worst of all, the league has been in the spotlight for almost all the wrong reasons possible (the abuse in various stadiums, controversial refereeing decisions, etc).
If all this wasn’t bad enough, LaLiga continues to get weaker every season as its best players and managers leave to sign for other leagues, such as the Premier League, Serie A, and even the Saudi Arabian league.
It’s a concerning period for the league, but why has LaLiga declined so much? Some might argue it’s only cyclical and that all top leagues have their moments, but there’s much more to it than that. Here are the reasons why LaLiga is in serious decline and what needs to change.
Hostile Fan Environments
One of the main issues Spanish football faces is the behavior of fans across several LaLiga stadiums. While football fans are known for their passion, there is a difference between banter and abuse.
In Spanish football, there have been all sorts of inappropriate chants in stadiums, including racist, xenophobic, and even homophobic abuse. However, it’s now been getting to the point where lines are being crossed and certain games become more than a hostile environment as seen in the last few seasons.
- Madrid Derby Disruptions: The game was halted due to the actions of Atletico Madrid’s ultras throwing objects at Real Madrid players. Afterward, the referee’s report detailed eleven separate offensive chants during the game. While Atletico were issued a three-game partial stadium ban, it remains to be seen whether the club will finally take action against their ultra group.
- Vinicius Jr. Hate Campaign: Vinicius has been the recipient of racist and xenophobic mistreatment at various stadiums, with the most egregious incidents occurring against Valencia CF during the 2022/2023 season. Regrettably, LaLiga took minimal action to address these matters, and the President of LaLiga even engaged in frequent disputes with Vinicius following the latter’s public condemnation of these issues.
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Betis vs. Sevilla Game Suspended: In early 2022, the Sevilla Derby would be suspended after an object hurled from the stands hit Sevilla player, Joan Jordán, on the head.
Let’s also not forget the appalling treatment that Luis Figo received when he returned to the Camp Nou for the first time after moving from Barcelona to Real Madrid in 2000.
Before the game, the local Barcelona newspaper, Sport, gave its readers a banknote poster with Figo’s face on it. As the game began, the Barcelona supporters group revealed a banknote tifo of their own, but with an image of Figo with his recently born daughter on it.
If that wasn’t bad enough, objects were constantly thrown at Figo every time he went close to take a corner kick. Something that Barcelona was never punished for and left a damming image on LaLiga and Spanish football as a whole.
Fan behavior in La Liga has historically been problematic due to a combination of heated rivalries and political history, but another issue is that there has generally been a lack of effective measures. For a long time, there were insufficient measures in place to curb fan violence and hooliganism.
It’s only in recent years that La Liga and its clubs have started implementing stricter security punishments to address these issues. Along with this, the publicity these acts receive from the media can perpetuate a cycle of aggressive behavior. Individuals from these ultra groups might feel emboldened to act out if they believe it will gain their attention or support from their peers.
LaLiga can’t continue to have this perception that it’s surrounded by hooligans and inept individuals. This is something that Spanish football needs to drastically change because it will at some point (if it hasn’t already) affect the business part of the game.
What player or even investor would want to be involved with a competition where they are overly abused and games at times can turn into a war zone?
Inconsistent Officiating and VAR Controversies
Another contentious problem is the inconsistency in officiating, which has been further complicated by the introduction of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system. While VAR was intended to minimize human error and ensure fair play, it has often led to more confusion and frustration among players, coaches, and fans. Some of the key issues include:
- Subjectivity in Decisions: Many decisions still rely heavily on the subjective interpretation of referees, which has led to accusations of bias and unfair treatment.
- Lack of Transparency: The decision-making process behind VAR calls is often opaque and makes it unclear why certain decisions were made, which undermines trust in the system.
- Inconsistent Application: There have been numerous instances where similar incidents have been judged differently, leading to claims of inconsistency.
This inconsistency can significantly impact the outcome of matches and, by extension, the league standings. However, if all this wasn’t bad enough, a Spanish court recently deemed that VAR officials made gross errors in games during the 2022/2023 season through their partial selection of images for the referee to view.
In the verdict, the judge leading the case cited two incidents where the images provided by the video assistant led to erroneous decisions by the on-field referee. Those two incidents were the following:
- Vinicius’ red card against Valencia CF: Although Vinicius slapped Hugo Duro, VAR didn’t show the referee the previous incident where Hugo Duro had Vinicius in a choke-hole.
- RCD Espanyol vs Atlético Madrid: The referee awarded Atletico a goal after being told by VAR, but was later proven to have not fully crossed the goal-line.
It’s also ironic that these incidents interestingly went against two of FC Barcelona’s biggest historical rivals when it’s been uncovered that Barcelona paid a total of €7 million to José María Enríquez Negreira, former Vice President of the Technical Committee of Referees, while he was still in power.
Payments which initially began in 2001. If Spanish referees aim to regain trust, it is imperative that they undertake essential reforms within the Technical Committee of Referees, demonstrate unwavering consistency in their adjudications, and enhance transparency in VAR reviews.
Javier Tebas
The primary cause of the challenges facing LaLiga, both on and off the field, can be attributed to the absence of effective management at the helm of the league. Something which shouldn’t come as a surprise when you take into consideration that Javier Tebas is the President. While the sporting landscape is evolving and aligning with contemporary standards, LaLiga appears to be regressing across various domains.
Tebas has been embroiled in persistent conflicts with some of the league’s prominent clubs, particularly with Real Madrid and its president, Florentino Perez, whom he publicly called a “disastrous president.”
Furthermore, his response to Vinicius’s experience of racist abuse during a match against Valencia CF in 2023 warrants scrutiny. These ongoing disputes present a less than favorable portrayal of LaLiga’s leadership, particularly when the President is engaged in frequent discord with the league’s most important figures.
LaLiga’s marketing strategy has been ineffective in generating interest worldwide. Tebas believes that the league can only be sold with the best players, but this is a misconception. The best players are needed to promote LaLiga and garner support for its clubs, not just to sell it.
Without promoting the image of LaLiga’s teams as a whole, fan support will decline when elite players leave, as many fans are more interested in the players than the clubs. Tebas has also neglected to promote the image of other LaLiga teams apart from Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atlético.
There are many other teams with rich history and exciting rivalries (Sevilla-Betis, Athletic Bilbao-Real Sociedad, etc) that the league could showcase. This approach distances local fans from their teams and makes it challenging to generate global interest.
Then there’s the fact that the rules and regulations don’t seem to apply for every team, particularly FC Barcelona. While ever team is complying with the league’s strict spending limits, Barcelona continue to have a debt of over €1 million and have been able to sign players without any sort of issue.
In fact, Tebas had a personal meeting with Laporta to find solutions to comply with the league’s regulations. During the 2022/2023 season, Barcelona managed to field their new signings in matches, but it later emerged that they lacked the funds to adhere to the financial regulations. Additionally, Barcelona continued to compete despite evidence showing that they had been making payments to Negreira since 2001.
Conclusion
La Liga is currently facing significant challenges that are affecting its appeal. Addressing these problems requires a comprehensive approach from all involved stakeholders.
Crucial steps include ensuring transparent officiating, fostering a more balanced competitive environment, and having proper leadership at the helm. By directly tackling these issues, La Liga can restore its reputation and continue to captivate football fans worldwide.
Javier Martinez is a seasoned veteran of football coverage and an expert on Spanish football. He has been covering world football for more than seven years with bylines at outlets such as The 18 and The Real Champs.