Should they have salary caps in football?

Last update 25 October, 2013 by Julio Muñoz

One of the great keys to the success of the NBA is the imposition of salary caps. Using this formula, The league ensures that the teams with more economic power can fight to take the best players and end up monopolizing the great figures to the detriment of others. As agreed for next season 2013-14, franchises may not exceed 58'675 million dollars in salary expenses, leaving aside some of the salary exceptions.

Nobody seems to deny among the spectators of this method (beyond the wealthiest owners) and the competition logically benefits. This raises a question, Should salary caps be transferred to Europe and more specifically to national leagues?? It is well known that they want financial fair-play to come into force and that teams do not spend more than they enter, But what if you want to create salary caps that do not detract from the competition.

The thing is not easy, obviously. There are many teams with greater economic power that manage to sign practically who they want at the stroke of a checkbook. Even, sheiks who put a lot of money to have their figures. But possibly, the imposition of a salary cap would be a good formula to even out the competition.

In Spain, there are examples of clubs that individually choose to impose these maximums. The Levante does not spend more than 350.000 euros in a player's chips and Valencia cannot pay any player beyond 1,8 million per season. But at the collective level, things are different.

Madrid and Barcelona spend what they “ask the market” regardless of spending a euro more or less. On the contrary, Almeria, Thunderbolt, Valladolid, Elche, Levante and Celta cannot pass the 14 millions of euros, practically a figure very similar to its television income. However, if it had set a joint salary cap that no club can spend more than X in chips, surely the classification would not be so distorted.

Of course, the problem would be that the Spanish teams would compete at a disadvantage with Europe. Therefore, It should be a rule at UEFA or FIFA level, that everyone will be affected equally. With it, large expenses would be avoided and budgets would be more rational according to the demand society. Pure utopia.

Salary limit in Liga BBVA

11-14 millions: Almeria, Thunderbolt, Valladolid, Levante, Elche and Celta.

14-23 millions: health, Getafe, Granada, Espanyol and Betis.

30-40 millions: Málaga, Villarreal, Real Sociedad and Athletic 45-50 millions: Valencia and Sevilla.

65-67 millions: Atlético de Madrid.

190 millions: Real Madrid and Barcelona (have not reached this figure, according to the LFP).

Salary cap in Liga Adelante:

7 -10 millions: Zaragoza, Mallorca and Sporting de Gijón.

3-5 millions: The Palms.

2,5- 3 millions: CD Tenerife, Murcia, Recreational, Córdoba, Girona, Mirandes, Alcorcon, Ponferradine, Lugo, Sabadell, Eibar, Numancia and Alavés.