LaLiga and Spanish Federation Agree Terms on Return to Training
Spain's sporting authority has agreed a plan of action with LaLiga and the RFEF for the return of soccer and a relief fund.
LaLiga teams have been told they will be able to return to training provided they comply with protocols laid out by the Spanish government.
The decision was made following a meeting on Sunday between Spain's National Sports Council (CSD), the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and LaLiga.
The intention is to permit players to resume training subject to the progress of the coronavirus pandemic "and the decisions adopted by the Ministry of Health", the CSD said in a statement.
Training sessions will be held under strict protocols and only for as long as circumstances allow, the CSD said.
It has been suggested the 2019-20 season is on track to restart in June, although the CSD did not confirm any specifics on a return date for either training sessions or matches.
In addition, the RFEF and LaLiga have agreed to set aside income from TV rights in order to create a rescue fund for federal, Olympic and Paralympic sports whose income has been severely damaged by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Luis Rubiales and Javier Tebas, presidents of the RFEF and LaLiga, also signed a commitment to create a contingency fund of €10million to help vulnerable athletes.
The meeting between Rubiales, Tebas and CSD president Irene Lozano, which lasted for more than eight hours at the Palacio de Viana, also saw Spain's top football governing bodies commit to a new code of conduct.
The agreement, which will "serve as a reference for other professional sports", is aimed at strengthening an often fraught relationship between LaLiga and the RFEF.
The new code of conduct encourages "honest and sincere dialogue and facilitates good relations between the different football institutions", the CSD said.
There is also a commitment to work together to strengthen Spain's global reputation as "a country for safe sport" as part of a government-supported bid to host the 2030 World Cup.
Tebas and Rubiales have often been at loggerheads in recent years, particularly over plans to stage Spanish football games abroad.
The RFEF blocked LaLiga's plans to hold a league match between Barcelona and Girona in Miami, despite creating a revamped Supercopa de Espana tournament and staging it in January this year.
