Tebas hails Real Sociedad as LaLiga’s sustainability model and eyes overseas fixtures | OneFootball

Javier Tebas put sustainability back at the heart of LaLiga’s growth plans in Donostia, singling out Real Sociedad as proof that sporting ambition can align with sound finances.

According to Diario Vasco, the league chief addressed former students at Tecnun, the University of Navarra’s engineering school, on Thursday and outlined his views on the game’s future.

He noted Spanish clubs have continued to lift European trophies in recent years, arguing the league’s strength also comes from balanced projects that compete without financial shocks. Clubs, he said, must be financially sustainable and competitively strong, and there is still room to improve that balance.

Tebas held up La Real as a model to follow rather than an exception, praising a structure he believes has met elite demands without overspending. He credited president Jokin Aperribay.

Setting the Premier League as Europe’s economic benchmark, he said leagues do not operate under identical conditions and that population, income and television markets shape investment capacity. He added that, alongside the Bundesliga, LaLiga is the most economically sustainable of the five major competitions.

He cited Sevilla as a warning of what happens when costly squads are built on Champions League income that then disappears. By contrast, he suggested stable projects like La Real are better placed to absorb downturns.

On internationalisation, he said LaLiga will keep trying to stage matches in markets such as Miami or Casablanca, calling it strategic for brand growth. He noted other sports already bring games to Spain with a positive reception, and said FIFA is now establishing rules to permit league fixtures abroad.

Looking to next season’s calendar, shaped by the World Cup, he said the league aims to start on 15 August and to spread the opening round across different dates. Clubs most affected by the tournament could play their first fixture midweek to allow extra rest.

Source: Diario Vasco