La Liga clubs must have their grounds "looking full of supporters or be punished by governing bodies," according to the Scotland DAILY RECORD. La Liga has released guidelines for clubs that "tell them to accommodate fans in the stand opposite the main TV camera," and said that it "must be at least" 75% full or sanctions will be imposed. Should it fall below 50% full, "the punishment will be doubled." The edit comes "as the Spanish football governing bodies want to make La Liga look more attractive on TV -- as if watching Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo isn't enough." La Liga has also offered to pay for tarpaulins "to cover sections of the stadium not on TV, with the match delegate deciding how full the stand opposite the main camera is" (DAILY RECORD, 8/3). In Valencia, Javier Bengoa reported La Liga has shared with clubs a document "in which it announces a series of rules, one of them especially surprising due to its novelty and controversy." Article 6.4 threatens "to economically sanction clubs that do not fill the stands in front of TV cameras to at least 75% of capacity." The statement says, "The occupation of the stadium is part of the audiovisual perception of the game. In an optimal TV broadcast the stadium should appear full. ... In the event that a club believes there are zones of its stadium -- which are not shown on TV -- that are habitually unoccupied, La Liga will pay for canvas to cover those areas" (SUPERDEPORTE, 8/3).
