La Liga reveals the wealth of the big clubs: Real Madrid and Barcelona pull away from the rest of Spain
La Liga has laid bare the chasm now threatening the fairness of the competition. Its two giants soar on astronomical budgets while Sevilla, one of the great clubs of Andalusia, have sunk to the very bottom of the financial pit, forced to lean on their academy just to stay in the fight.
The league unveiled one of its most closely guarded secrets today, Thursday: the official salary cap for all 42 clubs across the first and second divisions. The report overturned every expectation.
Real Madrid on top, and Barcelona return from afar
For the second year running, Real Madrid sat atop the throne as the richest in Spain. The Royal Club pushed their spending cap up by more than 70 million euros, confirming their absolute financial superiority.
Their rivals Barcelona delivered the big surprise. In the same summer the Catalan club celebrated their historic return to the 1:1 spending rule, meaning they can now spend every euro they bring in, their financial cap leapt by more than 200 million euros in one go. That huge jump reflects the management's success in selling assets and cutting debts.
With these figures, the gap widened frighteningly between the two poles and the rest. Third-placed Atletico Madrid held their position with a modest increase of no more than 35 million euros, leaving them a long way off the race between the two giants.
Sevilla in free fall, and the surprise of the promoted sides
At the complete opposite end, Sevilla are living a genuine financial nightmare. For the second year in a row, the Andalusian club sit rock bottom of the top-flight salary cap table on a figure of just 20.161 million euros, even less than last season.
That figure strangles the club's plans and forces them, more than ever, to lean on the youngsters of their academy and hit the target with every transfer. Malaga and Deportivo Alaves join them at the foot of the table.
The two newcomers grabbed the attention at the other end. Deportivo La Coruna, back in the top flight after an eight-year absence, return with the tenth lowest salary cap. Racing Santander, meanwhile, climbed clear of the bottom three, proof that their positive transfer market was no fluke.
What is the salary cap and why does it matter?
La Liga updates the salary caps periodically as part of the strict economic control system designed to stop clubs going bankrupt. This figure is not just players' wages. It is the maximum a club can spend on all its employees, including the salaries of women's teams and youth teams if they are registered within the first team's budget.
Break the cap and you cannot register your new signings. That is the weapon La Liga has wielded for years to force financial stability, even if the price is a widening gulf between those with deep pockets and those without.
