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Author: isidromv
Date: 20-07-2006, 11:56

Yesterday, the Spanish federation (RFEF) and the professional league (LFP, which include teams in 1st and 2nd levels) reached a new agreement up to year 2010.

This is an article in Spanish about this: La liga de las franquicias.

The main point is that at the end of each season, the clubs can sell their place in the league. The selling club will be relegated to 3rd or 4th level, but it will not disappear. The new club will be created from the scratch, unless it existed before in a lower level. It is thought as a solution to bankrupcy, the clubs can get fresh money to restart in a lower level.

Also, clubs from lower levels have priority to get the place if they offer the same money.

I know it is already done in other countries, but in Spain it was not allowed before, so it's a big change.

I wonder how would this affect coefficients, I think the old club should keep the coefficient and the new club should start from 0.

Author: badgerboy
Date: 20-07-2006, 13:32

I'd agree with you on the coefficients but I think there are more serious issues involved with this.

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding how this will work or need to see a practical application. Are you saying there's a possibility that a relatively small club with financial problems (or simply with financial limitations) could get promoted to La Liga, decide they can't compete and sell their place to a bigger club - perhaps one that has been relegated in the previous season? If so I'd call that a fairly horrendous development.

Author: executor
Date: 20-07-2006, 13:40

Unfortunately this is regular practice in Romania. This year Liberty Salonta (small team from a very small town) manage to promote, but is UTA that will play in their place in Liga I (and that "exchange" of places wasn't for free). I agree that UTA is a big club (5 times champion, but last title was....very long time ago), but I'm strongly against this kind of promotion. But, like I said, it's just the last in a long serie: FC Baia Mare, AEK Bucuresti, Astra merging with Petrolul, to name just the recent cases).

At least in Spain they'll know the money behind the exchange....

Author: isidromv
Date: 20-07-2006, 14:08

But in Spain it will not be a exchange of places, the team which is selling their place will be relegated to 3rd or 4th level, independent of who is buying it.

I do not know the exact wording of the agreement. The article says that the new club has to be built from the scratch, but that teams that were "close to be promoted" have priority to apply for the place.

It means that relegated teams can not use it as a workaround to avoid relegation, but I am not completely sure.