Spain: debt of clubs down €150 million since 2012 according to the State Secretariat for Sport

The accumulated debt of clubs in Liga BBVA and Liga Adelante, the first and second divisions of Spanish football, decreased by €150 million since 2012, announced Miguel Cardenal, Spanish Secretary of State for Sport, on 03/02/2014. He stated that the overall financial situation of Spanish clubs is improving, especially in the second division, without providing further details.

This amount represents a decrease of 5.8% of the aggregate debt of Spanish clubs, which reached €2.6 billion (all clubs except Real Madrid and FC Barcelona) at the end of the 2012-13 season, of which €750 million is unpaid taxes and social security contributions.

The total payroll of Spanish clubs decreased by 15% over the past two years, while those of Real Madrid and FC Barcelona have increased over the same period. Spanish professional clubs are spending less, according to Miguel Cardenal, and they use an increasing share of their profits to pay their debts to the Spanish tax and social services.

• The Spanish State Secretariat remains concerned about the difficult economic situation of many clubs in Segunda…