Javier tebas: "Spanish football is on a sound footing. Our challenge is to keep having the best players and the best clubs"

Javier Tebas and Fernando Roig, the presidents of LaLiga and Villarreal CF respectively, appeared at a press conference following LaLiga's Extraordinary General Assembly on Friday at the Pamesa Ceramica Training Ground in Villarreal. The LaLiga supremo summed up the events in this meeting, which was attended by representatives from the clubs and public limited sports companies (SADs) that make up the Liga BBVA and Liga Adelante. "We presented LaLiga's strategic plan for the next four years with the aim of taking up new challenges in all growth areas. We've completed the first phase, in which our objective was to put the clubs' finances on a sound footing, and now new challenges lie ahead on all fronts," explained Tebas. "A key challenge is for us to keep having the best clubs and the best players, within football's delicate balance."

One matter discussed at the Assembly was the distribution of revenues from broadcasting rights, which will be determined by a series of factors including the various clubs' and SADs' supporter reach and television ratings. Other highlights included the fact that new SD Eibar president Amaia Gorostiza took part in the proceedings, and the appearance made by Raul Gonzalez, LaLiga's New York-based country manager for the United States, who was joined by representatives from MLS to outline the new video-refereeing system to be trialled in the American league. Tebas also noted that an amendment to the statutes has been approved whereby, as a prerequisite for registration, all clubs will have to set out measures to safeguard integrity as part of their compliance plans.

Tebas went on to reveal that the meeting had included an explanation of the Television Broadcasting Regulations that will be rolled out next season. "We want to improve what's shown on television. What we see is very competitive, but we fall short in how it is broadcast. Over the course of the month we're going to work with the various departments at LaLiga and the clubs to make match broadcasts more attractive," he stated. The president added that another aim is "to improve stadiums to boost perceptions during broadcasts," before disclosing that El Madrigal will be one of seven Spanish grounds to have an aerial camera in place next season. "We want broadcasts to be on a par with those in other sports like F1, MotoGP and the NBA. If you're at a poor stadium, the broadcast is poor, the pitch is poor and the stands are dirty, it harms all of LaLiga," he observed.

Roig, for his part, remarked that, "The last three years have been a major milestone for Spanish football. Now our finances are in good health and we need to grow to become even better. What's going to come in the future will be extraordinary." "We have brought order by applying financial controls, and the joint selling of [audiovisual] rights will leave everyone more than satisfied," he went on.

On the subject of the video-refereeing trials, Tebas revealed that Raul will be attending the working sessions that FIFA and MLS will be holding. He commented that the move to explore this system "isn't a LaLiga or RFEF [Spanish Football Federation] decision" before elaborating: "It exists in several sports and we want to grow, and we'll get the chance to see how it works in the United States through the local league." Roig echoed these thoughts, stating that, "Anything that improves football and the spectacle is positive, and we can't close the door on new technologies."

Tebas was keen to stress the healthy state of Spanish football's finances. "The promoted clubs won't have any problems, while the relegated ones won't face the financial strain that existed before, thanks to the split of audiovisual revenues and the relegation compensation scheme," he said. "Now the directors manage their clubs' futures rather than their debt. We have the best football executives out there and now they can focus on thinking about their clubs with far less to worry about," he added.

Last but not least, Tebas thanked Villarreal for their hospitality in hosting the Assembly and the 25th edition of the LaLiga Promises National Tournament at their training ground.