LaLiga: Growing in leaps and bounds

By Wale Emosu

LaLiga has grown, over time, in stature to become the giant it is today. The organisation that had just a mere 50-member staff five years ago can now boast of about 500 people who have been working assiduously towards the realization of the LaLiga goal.

With the increase in the workforce, the scope and vision of LaLiga, the sports association comprising all clubs in the first and second divisions of the Spanish football competition, too have widened. This much was revealed to journalists by Ines Romera, LaLiga Communications Manager, Europe, Middle East and Africa, on Wednesday.

Journalists from 14 countries had visited the LaLiga headquarters in Madrid, Spain and during the visit, Romera conducted them round the different departments that make up LaLiga, giving insights into the roles and functions of each of them.

For instance, the Global Brand Team focuses on brand content and advertisement. This team aims to have the best media brand, but interestingly, not only in football. The selfless service of LaLiga was also highlighted to journalists who got to know that LaLiga is committed to the development of other sports as it works with 64 other sports federations in Spain.

In the course of the interaction, the journalists were told that the International Department, with nine offices across the continents, has 45 delegates in 44 countries.

While addressing the journalists, Joris Evers, LaLiga’s Head of Communications, dispelled the claim in certain quarters that the LaLiga is not competitive. To buttress his point on the competitiveness of LaLiga, Evers asserted that between 1992 and today, only six teams have won the Premier League and during the same period too, five clubs have won the LaLiga Santander title.

As the best football league in the world, he highlighted that 14 out of the last 15 major European trophies have been won by LaLiga clubs, while as a global league, LaLiga is broadcast in 183 countries through 89 broadcast media partners.

Last season alone, Evers averred that over 14 million fans attended stadiums to watch LaLiga matches and to underline its diversity, he added that 49 countries have presence in the league through the players that ply their trade in the elite Santander and LaLiga 1|2|3.

“It’s our commitment to help grow football round the world and then ultimately gain more fans for LaLiga…

“Football is big business in Spain,” Evers said.