La Liga said that it will "start rating its clubs financially from next season in an effort to increase transparency and attract more investors," according to the AP. La Liga President Javier Tebas said that the "unprecedented move in Europe is another step toward strengthening the finances" of Spanish football and "will be an essential factor in continuing to make up ground on the Premier League." The league hopes that the ratings "will make it easier for banks and sponsors to trust the local clubs and help them bring in new funds" (AP, 4/13). Tebas said, "We're working on a rating that will score clubs' financial standing, which will increase our credibility and transparency. We will be the first league in Europe to do this. ... Thanks to our work, traditional banks now trust professional football clubs to act under the guidance of La Liga. Four years ago, that was unthinkable." He added, "Our main goal in the next four years is to close the gap on the Premier League in terms of revenue, and to avoid the creation of a European Super League" (La Liga).
VALENCIA ADJUSTS BUDGET: In Madrid, Conrado Valle reported Valencia Sporting Dir Jesús García Pitarch "knows that the club will have to tighten the belt." Without European competition to "fatten" the revenue next season, the cost of the roster "will have to be readjusted." To "be exact," the cost of the roster will have to decrease from €110M ($124M) this season to €74M ($83.5M). This "will mean reducing salaries and amortizations" (AS, 4/12).
