Liga de Fútbol Profesional, the Spanish football league, has scheduled an extraordinary general meeting for tomorrow, August 14, after 13 clubs from La Liga, Spain’s top football division, threatened to boycott the start of the 2012-13 domestic season due to a broadcast rights dispute.
The clubs said that the dispute between pay-television operator Prisa and the Mediapro agency had created “a situation of serious legal insecurity which affects all the clubs.” The group urged the two parties to settle any outstanding debts with clubs and drop any legal demands against the clubs.
Prisa has accused Mediapro of launching an “illegal” sales process for rights covering the country’s top two football divisions for the next two seasons, 2012-13 and 2013-14.
The season is scheduled to start on Saturday, but the clubs – Athletic Bilbao, Atlético Madrid, Real Betis, Celta Vigo, Espanyol, Getafe, Granada, Real Mallorca, Osasuna, Rayo Vallecano, Real Sociedad, Sevilla and Real Zaragoza – have released a list of demands to the league.
The clubs are also reportedly unhappy with some games being scheduled to start as late as 11pm this month. The league made the move due to concerns about the stifling summer heat.
Spain’s Secretary of State for Sport, Miguel Cardenal, told the AS newspaper that he is confident the Liga can avoid a repeat of the scenario that saw the 2011-12 season start a week late due to a player strike. “I am perfectly well informed about what is going on between the clubs, the LFP and the broadcasters and I would not be so pessimistic,” Cardenal said. “I know it will be very difficult to reach an agreement… but in my estimation it will be possible to come to an understanding with the broadcasters.”