LaLiga Clubs To Start Training In Groups Of Up To Ten Today

LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank clubs will be able to start group training tomorrow, May 18th , with a maximum of ten players. This is a significant step towards restarting professional football in Spain, which has been on hold since March 12th due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

LaLiga President Javier Tebas featured this evening on the El Partidazo #BackToWin show on Movistar, LaLiga’s broadcaster in Spain, to announce the new developments ahead of the planned restart.

“Confirmation of group training helps to ensure that training remains equal,” he said. “It is important that everyone has the same opportunities, so we appreciate that this decision has been made.”

In addition, Tebas was optimistic about the possibility of having football every day when the competition returns: “It is what I hope,” he said. “We should not have any problems with playing on Mondays during the eleven matchdays that we have left. I hope for sensitivity of the Federation in this regard, because it is very important that we can give all our national and international operators, along with our fans in the world, the most days of football possible.”

Tebas also welcomed the return of the Bundesliga in Germany this weekend, adding: “I am very happy with its return. I have congratulated the Bundesliga because they have made a significant effort. We have worked a lot together in these months, we have exchanged protocols and ideas. I am very proud of the Bundesliga; it was not easy and they were the first. This is an example to follow.”

The resumption of group training sessions in Spain was laid out in LaLiga’s Return to Training protocol and agreed with the CSD (Spanish High Sports Council). The possibility of moving forward to this next phase of the strategy was one of the sports-related flexibility measures set out in Ministerial Order SND/414/2020, issued on May 16th .

Group training may be carried out by all clubs, regardless of the de-escalation phase of the province in which they are located. All training will adopt the preventive measures laid out by the LaLiga Return to Training Protocol to guarantee the highest levels of safety for everyone involved at all times.