Spanish soccer’s top-flight LaLiga has won a protracted court case against the RFEF, the national federation, regarding the scheduling of league matches on Mondays and Fridays.
The ruling by the Supreme Court of Spain brings an end to a long-running dispute between the two parties, as the RFEF sought to block the staging of matches on those days.
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On Friday, the court dismissed the appeal filed by the RFEF, thereby upholding a previous ruling that deemed the national governing body’s actions to prevent LaLiga from scheduling those matches as unfair competition.
The decision means LaLiga retains full authority to determine the scheduling of matches in its top two divisions, with the RFEF ordered to pay the legal costs of the case.
The Supreme Court outlined that coordination between LaLiga and the RFEF should only take place “solely to avoid interference with other national or international competitions, but does not constitute a power of authorization or veto by the RFEF.”
In addition, the court also clarified that the laws do not authorize the RFEF to demand financial compensation or conditions of any kind to allow matches on Fridays and Mondays, ruling that “the imposition of such requirements constitutes an act of unfair competition by obstruction, as it lacks objective justification and unduly restricts LaLiga’s organizational activity.”
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By GlobalDataIn a statement following the court’s ruling, the league said: “LaLiga welcomes this resolution, which strengthens the legal security of Spanish professional football and consolidates the jurisdictional framework established by current legislation.
“Similarly, LaLiga recalls that it had already warned the then presidency and board of directors of the RFEF about the consequences that could arise from preventing the correct development of competitions.
“The ruling paves the way for assessing the damages caused by a situation that, for years, generated uncertainty and losses for clubs and the competition itself by affecting a key tool for competing on equal terms, maintaining and increasing the value of audiovisual rights, and benefiting the entire professional football ecosystem.”
The legal case was initiated in 2019 by controversial former RFEF president Luis Rubiales, who had several disputes with LaLiga president Javier Tebas during his tenure.
At that time, the RFEF announced that it would not authorize LaLiga matches to be played on Mondays and was limiting them to Fridays, claiming that the league had to gain approval from the federation.
As a result of that decision, matches could not be played on those days for several seasons, which LaLiga claims had “a significant impact on sports planning, audiovisual marketing, and the fan experience.”
In August 2019, following a lawsuit filed by LaLiga, the Commercial Court No. 2 of Madrid provisionally allowed Friday matches, but not Monday games. Later, in June 2020, the Provincial Court of Madrid revoked the rulings issued by the Commercial Court allowing both days to be scheduled, stating that the RFEF lacked the authority to prevent it.
During this period, the Higher Sports Council (CSD) attempted to mediate, and in 2022, it again ruled in favor of holding matches on Mondays and Fridays, reaffirming LaLiga’s jurisdiction.
With this latest ruling, the Supreme Court puts an end to what LaLiga describes as “a long institutional and legal dispute that affected the normality of the competitions.”
