A Bit of History
Founded in 1929, La Liga is considered one of the best soccer tournaments in the world, constantly competing with the English Premier League for the top spot. Since its foundation, only nine teams have managed to win the title. Most recently, FC Barcelona won its 27th crown.
However, when it comes to titles, no other team has more than Real Madrid. Los Blancos has won La Liga 35 times. The two juggernauts are followed by Atletico Madrid since Los Colchoneros have finished atop the standings nine times.
Los Azulgranas and Los Blancos haven’t had too much trouble fulfilling their role as favorites in the Spain La Liga lines over the last 20 years. During that span, one of the two won the title in 17 seasons. From 2009 to 2018, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo made La Liga the most popular show on turf. Now, that responsibility falls on players like Vinicius Junior, Pedri, and Antoine Griezmann.
Messi and Ronaldo aren’t the only players considered among the best in history who graced La Liga at some point, the list also includes Alfredo Di Stefano, Diego Maradona, Emilio Butragueno, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo Nazario, and Ronaldinho. That’s right, everyone wants to have something to do with La Liga.
How the Championship Works
Since 1997, all Spain La Liga betting enthusiasts have had 20 teams to choose from each week, since 20 teams fight for the title each season. Each squad plays the other 19 twice, once at home, once on the road. The winner of each match gets three points, while the loser returns home empty-handed. In case of a draw, each team gets a point. The team with the most points at the end of the season wins the title and automatically qualifies for the UEFA Champions League.
Those who finished second, third, and fourth receive an excellent consolation prize, which is to accompany the title holder to the UCL. Fifth and sixth place get to play in the UEFA Europa League, while seventh ends up representing La Liga in the UEFA Conference League.
On the other hand, the three teams that finish last are relegated.
Besides winning the La Liga title, all 20 teams also have the chance of winning the domestic cup, also known as the Copa del Rey. It’s a knockout tournament organized by the Royal Spanish Football Federation that involves teams from all divisions. The winner qualifies for the UEL.
Title Contenders
As mentioned before, Barcelona and Real Madrid are always in control of the Spain La Liga odds. Both usually invest a lot of money in the transfer market to stay on top, not only in La Liga, in the UCL as well. Let’s not forget that no other team has won more UCL titles than Real Madrid with 14.
Nevertheless, when it comes to La Liga, Los Blancos haven’t been able to win back-to-back titles since the 2007-08 season. Since then, Los Azulgranas have won back-to-back titles three times. As mentioned before, Atletico Madrid comes in as the main threat to the two powerhouses, but Los Colchoneros aren’t the only ones.
You should follow closely teams like Real Sociedad, Villarreal, Real Betis, and Sevilla. In fact, no other team has won more UEL titles than Sevilla. In other words, one could say that Spanish football reigns in Europe.
Main Events During the Year
Three teams are relegated to the Segunda Division, and three teams are promoted from the same division, leaving one team as the champion of La Liga (the one with the highest points).
Copa del Rey
A team can compete in the Europa League if it wins the competition. If they have already qualified, the spot is awarded to the league’s next highest-ranked team that has not already qualified for Europe.
Barcelona is the most successful club in that competition, having won 30 titles.
One hundred sixteen teams are participating in the Copa del Rey, but only 112 will compete in the first round. Following their group membership, they will be separated into seven Cups.
There will be one for each of the 10 regional teams in Cup 6.
This includes one for Cup 1 champions, one division two winners, one for the first RFEF, the second RFEF, and the RFEF semi-finalists. Each of the four Super Cup champions will receive one as well.
Spanish people love dispute over everything, but the country’s debate-loving population has almost universally praised the new Copa del Rey. It’s heartening to see the power dynamic shift in favor of the smaller leagues and organizations. If other football leagues have problems with their cup competitions, they should pay attention.
Spanish Super Cup
The Spanish Super Cup is also referred to as Supercopa de Espana. This event featured matches between La Liga and the Copa del Rey winners.
The competition will be played by four teams beginning this year, with the Copa del Rey champions and the top three teams in La Liga competing.
Barcelona has once again established a precedent. They have won 13 championships, the most of any team in history
How the Championship Works
Primera Division in Spain comprises twenty teams competing in the same league. Each team will compete in 38 games during the season. The winning team has the most points at the season’s conclusion.
Every weekend during the season, except international games, Saturday and Sunday afternoons and evenings are reserved for games, with a few games beginning early on certain days (kick-off times vary). The 2009-10 season also saw the addition of this game on weekdays, including Mondays.
Three teams from the Primera Division’s bottom half are relegated to the Liga Segunda, the league’s second tier. They are replaced by three teams who finished first in their Segunda Division league after 42 games.
Finals
Like other major leagues, La Liga runs from August to May, and teams face each other both at home and away.
If the two best teams have the same number of points, the champion is decided based on goal difference and goals scored. If the other teams cannot be separated, they will be grouped in the same position on the table.