Soccer+in+Spain

Soccer in Spain Spanish soccer is one of the greatest sports this world has to offer. Many say that soccer is like religion in Spain, due to the deep devotion of the fans. There are four professional leagues in Spain, the highest being [|Liga A], simply known as “La Liga” to the rest of Europe. With four leagues, each weekend sees over 100 professional football matches in the country. Liga A holds the top 20 teams in Spain including two of the most famous in the world, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. The 20 teams in Liga A compete against all other teams twice a year, once at home and once away for a total of 38 games. Teams are awarded points for their performances during these games, 3 for a win, 1 for a draw, and 0 for a loss. The teams are ranked by points and the leader at the end of the season is crowned champion. Much like American football, Spanish football has become the national pastime and the weekend tradition. However, the difference between American football and Spanish football is the diversity of teams. In Spain, with four professional leagues, most cities have a local team to root for, and game tickets are less expensive. In America, the [|National Football League (NFL)], protects the value of the league and its teams by limiting the number of teams to 32. Because there are only 32 teams, the teams have much larger fanbases in wider regions. With fewer teams, this also allows prices to soar as demand is much higher than available tickets. To contrast, a ticket to a Spanish football game could cost anywhere from 20-60 euros, while tickets to an American NFL game range from $100-$1000. These cultural differences are the results of what the focus of society is. In Spain, the sport is so popular for the pure love of the game. While in America, the League (NFL) is more of a focus than the game itself. This is evidenced by the complete lack of relevance of inferior leagues to the NFL such as the now-defunct United States Football League (USFL) and the current United Football League (UFL).

The most watched match in Spanish football every year pits the historic rivalry of FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, known simply as "El Clásico". These two clubs come from the two largest cities in Spain and together have combined to be with two most successful and influential clubs in Spanish football, winning a combined 52 La Liga crowns. These two clubs are also the two richest football clubs in the world, with annual revenues of over 400 million euro annually. The fanbases of these teams stretch worldwide, making this event one of the most watched in the world. A 2002 [|UEFA Champions League] final featuring the two clubs netted over 500 million television viewers worldwide. While many things change over time, one thing that will always remain true is Spain's love for football. With the rise of Spanish basketball, many wonder if this means anything for the future of Spanish football. Although the culture is diversifying its sporting activities, "the beautiful game" will always be the national passion of the nation of Spain.

Sources:

"El Clásico." //Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia//. Web. 5 Dec. 2011. . "Football in Spain." //Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia//. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. . "Liga BBVA." //LigaBBVA.com//. Web. 5 Dec. 2011. . "Spain: Football in Spain." Web. 5 Dec. 2011. .