Azpilicueta critical of La Liga TV rights

Posted Thursday, May 02, 2013 by YAHOO Sport

Chelsea full back Cesar Azpilicueta feels that the way the television rights are negotiated in La Liga means that division has become competitively unbalanced.

Teams in Spain’s top flight discuss their rights individually meaning Barcelona and Real Madrid shared over 270 million euros last season.

In contrast, Granada was only able to claim 12m euros for its campaign and Azpilicueta feels such an uneven distribution is adversely affecting the division.

"Other teams have less television money which means the big teams are able to pick the best players [which gives them] the best teams," the full back told Sky Sports.

He added, "Every year it makes it more difficult for other teams to get closer [to Barcelona and Real Madrid]. The smaller teams are unable to get near."

Third top of the Liga’s distribution is Atletico Madrid which earns nearly three times less than its local rivals with 50m euros per season and the president of Spain's Sports Council, Miguel Cardenal said last month that the current model is something that is under review.

"The idea is that the [proposed] new law gathers the rights together collectively, and that just one packet is sold which includes all the teams," Cardenal was quoted as telling La COPE. "The natural thing to do is think that the difference between those who receive the most and the least narrows."