Spanish football split over TV money

No show
On Tuesday the 12 clubs, headed by Real Madrid CF, FC Barcelona and Club Atlético de Madrid, said they would not be attending Thursday's extraordinary general meeting of the LPF, called to discuss the ongoing failure to secure a new television contract.

Insubstantial offer
The current TV deal expires at the end of the season but the offer of a new one with rights holder Audiovisuales Sport - negotiated by the governing body on behalf of its 42 member clubs - was rejected by the clubs as insubstantial.

Big three
Now, with Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético having arranged separate deals with other networks for the next campaign, a group of 12 top-flight clubs has formed to defend their economic interests. A spokesman for the rebels said: "We maintain that the assembly [LPF] does not represent the general interests of Spanish football. We know there is a collective good but every group has to take care of its own interests."

Powerful cabal
As well as Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético, this powerful cabal also includes Athletic Club Bilbao, Real Betis Balompié, RC Deportivo La Coruña, RCD Espanyol, Málaga CF, Real Sociedad, Sevilla FC, Valencia CF and Villarreal CF.

Strike threat
The mobilisation of the self-styled G-12 follows the threat by other, smaller clubs to go on strike at the start of next season due to the failure to broker a TV deal. However, it is thought that any such move could prompt the rebels to establish a breakaway league, which six second division teams sympathetic to the cause would be invited to join.

Defending the weak
Meanwhile, First Division clubs RCD Mallorca and RC Celta de Vigo lead a group of 30 other professional outfits, all of which will be represented at Thursday's LFP meeting. LFP president Pedro Tomás insisted his organisation would "defend the Spanish league from any breakdown". "I will fight against that possibility because I believe in dialogue," he said.