Spanish football club Elche will play in the Spanish second division next season after making a €2.9M ($3.2M) cash payment to the Spanish tax authorities on Friday, according to FOOTBALL ESPANA. A statement on the Spanish Football League's (LFP) official website "broke on Friday evening, confirming the news." Marca reported a €2.9M payment was made to the tax office, consisting of "donations from local businessmen and supporters, the latter of whom had their membership fees advanced." The other €1M ($1.1M), owed to players, "was also written off by the players following an agreement with the AFE." Finally, Elche agreed to an extension with the tax authorities to "delay payment of income tax until September" (FOOTBALL ESPANA, 7/31). ESPN's Sid Lowe reported Elche had little more than 36 hours to save itself, "and in the end, they did so with six hours to spare." It was just after 6pm on Friday when Elche announced that next season it will play in the Segunda Division. The league had confirmed it and outside the stadium, "a group of relieved fans let off fireworks, celebrating." Elche, Spain Mayor Carlos González, who had "led the rescue team working against the clock," called it "quite a feat." If the team did not raise the money by the deadline, it would be relegated to the Segunda Division B, Spain's regionalized third tier, "where 80 teams are spread across four divisions, where there's virtually no money and where there's no longer direct promotion back up again" (ESPN, 8/1).
