La Liga refers to the first division of the Spanish league. The main professional soccer league in Spain is officially called Liga BBVA for sponsorship reasons. It is one of the most professional and exciting leagues in Europe, attracting some of the best football talent from around the world.
Just like any other league, La Liga is also governed by some strict rules and regulations regarding the promotion and relegation of clubs, as well as how many players from outside the EU can play in the league. Let’s take a quick look at the league rules.
Promotion-Descent Regulation
Every year, 20 teams participate in the competition. The three teams that finish bottom of the league table are relegated to the 2nd division of the Spanish league system, with the top two finishers in the division immediately below and the winner in a play-off replacing the relegated clubs .
Inclusion of non-EU players
There is an upper limit when it comes to retaining non-EU players in this top division of the Spanish league. In La Liga, each team can retain a maximum of three foreign players. Even in the second division, each participating club can keep only 2 players. If any La Liga club is relegated to the lower division, they are allowed to keep the same number of foreign players until their contracts expire.
What does “Non-EU” mean? The sentence has been repeated many times after several verdicts of the Court of Justice of the European Communities. According to a decision adopted by the Spanish Federation in this regard, the teams participating in La Liga have the right to make the best possible use of the rules and bring many foreign players to their squad.
Citizenship Claim
Foreign players can apply for Spanish citizenship from the countries from which their ancestors descended. In La Liga, a player from outside the EU can claim Spanish citizenship if he has played in Spain for at least five years and it can result in triple citizenship. Let us give you an example. Leo Franco was born in Argentina and has Italian ancestry. He is able to apply for Spanish citizenship, having played in the country for more than five years.
Players arriving from ACP countries, including Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific, are not considered to be in the non-EU category under the Kolpak ruling.
Violation of rules and conduct
All La Liga clubs are required to comply with the rules and regulations clearly specified by the highest authority in the Spanish football league system which, in turn, ensures compatibility with the guidelines drawn up by FIFA, the governing body of football in the world. In recent times, FIFA has sanctioned Barcelona for not complying with the rules regarding the transfer of players after the transfer complaint of minor players (under 18 years of age).
The defending La Liga champions cannot play any new players until January 2016. The club appealed against the ban, but it was not lifted. However, they have been allowed to sell players during the time of the transfer ban.
