Had LaLiga lost, it could have been left as an administrator without any power over commercial and marketing matters.

LaLiga

LaLiga has won a court case over Real Madrid, that means it will continue to promote and handle broadcast rights for the competition. 

Real Madrid had asked the court to force LaLiga to provide more detailed accounts from the 2018/19 season, particularly regarding broadcast rights - with detail on international sales, commissions, and financial beneficiaries. The club also asked for decisions from LaLiga’s October 2019 general assembly to be overturned and that audiovisual rights that had not been monetised should be returned. Finally, it wanted €23.9 million (£20.7m) in compensation.

However, the court ruled against Los Blancos, clearly stating that the organising body was responsible for promoting and increasing the value of the competition - plus that is has been integral to its increase in value and revenues. It also awarded legal costs to LaLiga.

The judge wrote in a letter with the decision: “It is not reasonable that the significant growth experienced in income from audiovisual rights would have occurred without being accompanied by optimal commercial management and investment.”

A LaLiga statement read: “LaLiga considers that this resolution is of great importance considering the main legal reasons used for its dismissal as they highlight the unequivocal role that LaLiga has in the commercial management of audiovisual rights and the obligation that this entails to guarantee optimal management and investment, with the aim of obtaining the highest possible economic return from the commercialization of audiovisual rights, which results not only in the financing of professional clubs and in the relevance of the Spanish League, so that it can compete on equal terms with the main European leagues.

“LaLiga highly values this ruling that revalidates LaLiga’s powers to continue working and making use of the main tools that have allowed it to compete on equal terms in the market, preserve and increase the value of audiovisual rights with the consequent benefit for the global ecosystem of professional football.”

Had the decision gone against LaLiga, it could have left the organisation as a mere administrator with little power over commercial and marketing matters. It could have also had a detrimental effect on the finances of smaller clubs, which depend on receiving an equitable share of broadcast revenues for survival.

The ruling is another blow for Real Madrid, which had been one of the ringleaders of the failed European Super League. President Florentino Perez has since refused to back away from the project, continuing to insist that it could go ahead despite the similar effect it could have on smaller clubs and competitions.