La Liga president steps into Catalonia debate

President of La Liga in Spain has stepped into the Catalonian independence referendum debate by saying if Catalonia became independent clubs from that region, notably Barcelona and Espanyol, would have to leave the Spanish league and compete within their new domestic boundaries.

This claim is without foundation as multinational ‘domestic’ leagues are authorised by Uefa, Fifa and the EU, while Spanish clubs are able to compete with foreign clubs in European competition, but this intervention is likely to be one of the more emotive topics in the Catalonian debate.  Would Barcelona fans vote for Catalan independence if it required them to withdraw from the Spanish league and hand back their status as one of the game’s world powers?  Some would, some wouldn’t.

Football is the key cultural touchstone of European nations.  Those who want to preserve the Spanish nation know this.  Excluding Scottish clubs from the England and Wales football market has an enormous commercial impact on top-flight clubs here.  It also means that our key cultural touchstone is Scottish.

Those who want to build a cohesive UK would be more productive by working to end the exclusion of Scottish clubs from the England and Wales league than telling nationalists they would be wrong to hold another referendum.

Popcorn and ginger on hand for the latest Newco Rangers episode.  Flash mobs and EGMs, all destined to further tear the club apart.  As we’ve said here for years, internecine strife is the only thing that can really damage a club. That lot seem to have a infinite supply of the stuff.

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