 |
| La Liga Football in Andalucia |
Football
Football is a favourite spectator sport in Andalucia amongst a huge number of British and Spanish like. The foreign influence has increased the popularity of football over the years and there are usually local matches, where you can support or even join the team. For foreigners living abroad, a football match can be a great way to meet like-minded local people in a relaxed, yet lively atmosphere. You might learn a few choice Spanish phrases that you should check out before you incorporate them into your everyday vocabulary!
Buy Tickets for any Real Betis La Liga home matches in Seville for the current 2024-25 season. Season's highlights are Real Betis vs Barcelona on 7th December 2024, Real Betis vs Real Madrid on 2nd March 2025. Local derby Real Betis vs Sevilla 30th March 2025.
Since so many British people have settled in Andalucia and especially along the Costa del Sol, over the last 20 years or so, there is now a large English speaking fraternity that follows the Liga and especially Malaga Football Club.
We currently have pages on some of the Andalucian teams, from where you can read more information and buy tickets.
Andalucia Football Clubs
The local football team is Marbella Fútbol Club. It was founded in 1997 following the collapse of Club Athletico Marbella which was owned by Jesus Gil. The new club was initially called Unión… More →
Cádiz Club de Fútbol is a Spanish professional football club based in Cádiz, Andalucia. Known for their passionate fanbase and fighting spirit, the club has had a rollercoaster journey through… More →
Betis, full name Real Betis Balompié, was founded after rival Sevilla Fútbol Club, in 1907. founded by students from the Polytechnic. They were led by another Brit, Henry Jones - known as Papa… More →
Sevilla Fútbol Club was started first out of the city's two football clubs - officially in 1905, but the earliest football match took place in the city earlier, in 1890, against the newly-founded… More →
Granada Club de Fútbol, formerly known as Recreativo de Granada, is a Spanish football club based in Granada city. Founded in April 1931, their first president was Julio López Fernández. In the… More →
More Football info
Estadio La Cartuja (formerly known as the Estadio Olimpico de Sevilla) is the main stadium in Seville, and the second-largest in Andalucia. It is located in the north of Isla la Cartuja, to the… More →
Residential and non-residential soccer camps for kids have long been popular in the United States. In Europe soccer (Football) has become more inclusive and has increased in popularity in the last… More →
With a tour guided in either Spanish or English, guests will be able to explore the entire stadium and, in the pioneering museum, experience the history of football in Málaga over the last century… More →
how does the spanish league system work?
The top league in Spain is the Primera División, more commonly known as 'LaLiga Santander' and the league below this is the Segunda División or 'LaLiga SmartBank', before known as LaLiga 123. These two leagues can be considered the Spanish equivalent of the Premier League and Championship in England.
After this, the 'Segunda División B' is made up of 80 teams, divided into 4 groups which relate to geographical locations. Segunda División B Group 4 encompasses those Andalucian teams that make the league.
Buy Tickets for any Real Betis La Liga home matches in Seville for the current 2024-25 season. Season's highlights are Real Betis vs Barcelona on 7th December 2024, Real Betis vs Real Madrid on 2nd March 2025. Local derby Real Betis vs Sevilla 30th March 2025.
Following on from this, there is the Tercera División (third division), made up of 18 groups of 20 teams and finally, the regional divisions.
Primera División (20 teams)
Segunda División (22 teams)
Primera Federación (2 groups of 20 teams)
Segunda Federación (5 groups of 18 teams)
Regional Divisións
promotion & relegation
At the end of the season, the bottom three teams from Premier División are relegated to the Segunda División and automatically replaced by the the top two of this division, however the third team to be promoted must first win a play off. The play off is between the teams in third, fourth, fifth and sixth position in the Segunda División.
The teams (2023/2024 SEASON)
La Liga Santander
Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, officially known as LaLiga EA Sports since 2023 for sponsorship reasons (formerly La Liga Santander), LaLiga is the top men’s professional division of the Spanish football league system.
LaLiga is controlled by the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional (LNFP) and contested by 20 teams over 38 match days each season. According to UEFA’s league coefficient rankings , LaLiga has been the top league in Europe in each of the seven years from 2013 to 2019, and has led Europe for 22 of the 60 ranked years up to 2019. This represents a better performance than any other country in that time.
Those teams in bold represent Andalucian teams.
As can be seen ffrom the table below the 2023/24 season champion was Real Madrid with Barcelona as runners up. The bottom three teams are relegated to the Segunda division, and this season it was three Andalucia Clubs Cadiz, Almeria and Granada. The only two Andalucia teams in the 2024/5 La Liga are the two seams from Seville - Seville FC and Real Betis. The teams promoted to La Liga for the 2024/25 season are: Valladolid, Leganés, Espanyol.
| La Liga Santander (end 2023/2024 season) |
|---|
| Real Madrid |
| FC Barcelona |
| Girona |
| Atlético de Madrid |
| Atlético Club Bilbao |
| Real Sociedad |
| Real Betis (Seville) |
| Villareal |
| Valencia Club Football |
| Aviles |
| Osasuna |
| Getafe |
| Celta de Vigo |
| Sevilla FC |
| Mallorca |
| La Palmas |
| Rayo Valencano |
|
|
| Cádiz |
| Almeria |
| Granada |
Segunda Division
Officially known as LaLiga HYPERMOTION for sponsorship reasons (previously LaLiga SmartBank), LaLiga2 is the men’s second professional division of the Spanish football league system. Administered by LNFP, LaLiga2 is contested by 22 teams, with the top two teams plus the winner of a play-off promoted to LaLiga, and replaced by the three lowest-placed teams in La Liga division.
The teams promoted to La Liga for the 2024/25 season are: Valladolid, Leganés, Espanyol. The three Andalucia Clubs were religated from La Liga down down to the Segunda division for 2024/5 Cadiz, Almeria and Granada.
There were no Andalucian teams in the Segunda 2023/4.
| Segunda Division (end 2023/2024 season) |
|---|
| Leganes |
| Eibar |
| Espanyol |
| Elche |
| Sporting Gijon |
| Valladolid |
| Burgos |
| Oviedo |
| Racing Ferrol |
| Racing |
| Eldense |
| Tenerife |
| Levante |
| Real Zaragosa |
| Huesca |
| Mirandes |
| Albacete |
| Cartagena |
| Villa Real B |
| Alcorcon |
| Andorra |
| Amorebieta |
Primera Federación
The 2021–22 Primera Federación season was be the first for the Primera Federación, the new third highest level in the Spanish football league system. This replace the 'Segundo B'. Forty teams will participate, divided into two groups of twenty clubs each based on geographical proximity. In both groups, the champions automatically promoted to Segunda División and the second to fifth placers play promotion play-offs. There is a complex relegation system involving multiple groups and playoffs to determine which teams are relegated from the Primera Federation to the Segunda Federación leading to five teams from both groups tp be relegated. Of the two Groups; Group One is essentially northern Spain and Group Two is Southern and Eastern Spain.
There were seven Andalucia teams in Group Two 2023–24 Primera Federación season: 2nd Cordoba, 3rd Malaga, 8th Antequera, 13th Algeciras, 16th San Fernando 17th Linares Deportivo and 20th Granada II. The Andalucia teams to be relegated down to the Segunda Federation were Cádiz CF B and RB Linense.
Segunda Federación
Segunda Federación, previously called Segunda División RFEF contains 90 teams divided into five geographical groups. The division also includes the reserve teams of a number of La Liga and Segunda División teams.
There are ten Andalucia teams in Group Four 2024–24 Segunda Federación season. These were 1st Seville Athletico, 3rd RD Marbella, 5th Real Betis B, 6th CD Estepona, 9th Real Balompedica Linense, 12th Cadiz B, 15th CD San Roque de Lepe, 16th CD El Palo, 17th Velez CF. The Andalucia teams to be relegated down to the Segunda Federation were Cádiz CF B and RB Linense. The Andalucia teams to be promoted up to the Primera Federation were Algeciras.