Livida Sport: A Global Guide to Football Transfers - Second Edition - Manual / Resource - Page 16
Spain
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La Liga
La Liga is the second most-watched football league in the world, but its dominance on
the pitch is arguably its defining feature. In the 21st century, no league has amassed
more UEFA Champions League titles, with Real Madrid and Barcelona winning 19 titles
between them.
La Liga is continuously looking to expand its international reach. Since 2020, Saudi
Arabia has secured the rights to host the Spanish Super Cup, with the next edition to be
hosted in Jeddah. This is part of the broader push to increase the global reach and
commercial appeal of La Liga. La Liga recently announced a significant three-year
sponsorship deal with Riyadh Season, which is an annual entertainment and cultural
festival promoting Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia. This partnership aims to
enhance fan engagement through joint promotions, immersive experiences, and crosscultural activities.
What are the foreign player rules?
Whilst attracting top talent from around the globe remains a priority for the big Spanish
clubs, there is pressure to choose wisely as each club in La Liga can only register five
non-EU players in their squad for the season, with only three of those five permitted to
feature in a match-day squad. Like other EU countries, players with European citizenship
do not require a visa. In recent years, prominent La Liga players, such as Vinicius Jr. of
Real Madrid, have obtained Spanish citizenship, allowing them to no longer be classified
as 8foreign players9 for registration. This process of 8naturalisation9 in Spain is relatively
quick as players can gain Spanish citizenship after two years.
The Samoa Agreement is a comprehensive partnership between the EU and the
Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), comprising 79 countries.
It succeeds the Cotonou Accord and under Spanish regulations allows players from
these 79 nations to play in Spain as if they were EU players.
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