Fox News MADRID – The president of La Liga says Catalan clubs like Barcelona and Espanyol would be excluded from the country's top soccer league if the region succeeds in its bid for independence from Spain. Separatist sentiment has surged in Catalonia in recent years following Spain's refusal to give the region more autonomy and fiscal powers.La Liga President Javier Tebas says the country's sports law entitles only one non-Spanish territory — Andorra — to legally participate in the league or other official competitions.Tebas adds that for clubs from an independent Catalonia to be included in La Liga would require a "modification" of the law that would have to be approved by parliament.
Big news from Spain with pretty major ramifications for the soccer world. Taking Barcelona out of La Liga is a huge deal. Save for Atletico Madrid's title win last season, it's been a two horse race the past nine years between Barcelona and their rivals Real Madrid. Granted, La Liga allows a non-Spanish team to currently play, that being FC Andorra form the small nation of Andorra (sandwiched between France and Spain), although the highest that squad has ever been in the Spanish soccer hierarchy is the third tier. Barcelona is one of the biggest clubs in the world across all sports, never mind just La Liga. New laws would have to be put in place to allow for more non-Spanish teams to play in the league. Barcelona players such as Xavi Hernandez and Gerard Pique, both Catalan-born, have expressed they want the region to continue to seek independence. This could expand past La Liga as well. Catalonia has had its own national team for some time, but they are not recognized by FIFA. With a new, independent nation, they could become recognized and be able to compete in world tournaments. This would also deplete the Spanish national team of key players. This is certainly a double-edged sword for those in the Catalan region: stay and continue to play as they always have, or secede and have their footballing future in doubt.
PS-Has a club motto ever backfired/been more relevant than Barcelona's? It's "Mes que un club", which means "More than a club". As in they represent not just a club but a region. A region that wants to secede. Talk about a rock and a hard place.
PSS- Poor Espanyol just getting sandbagged. No respect for being a second class team in a region that wants to secede.
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