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INFORMATION ABOUT SPANISH FOOTBALL

OFFICIAL CLUB SITES:
Alaves - www.alaves.com
Ath Bilbao - www.athletic-club.es
At. Madrid - ???
Barcelona - www.fcbarcelona.com
Celta Vigo - www.celta.devigo.net/dani
Deportivo - www.canaldeportivo.com
Espanyol - www.rcdespanyol.com
Las Palmas - ???
Malaga - www.malagacf.es
Mallorca - www.rcdmallorca.es
Numancia www.cdnumancia.com
Osasuna - www.osasuna.es
Oviedo - www.real-oviedo.com
Real Betis - ???
Real Madrid - www.realmadrid.com
Real Sociedad - www.real-sociedad-sad.es
Rayo Vallecano - www.rayovallecano.es
Real Zaragoza - www.realzaragoza.com
Santander - www.realracingclub.es
Salamanca - http://www.udsalamanca.com
Tenerife - ???
Valencia - www.valenciacf.es
Valladolid - www.realvalladolid.es
Villarreal - ???

SPANISH RULES
Since the 1999/2000 season the last 3 clubs in the league is relegated automatically, the top three of Segunda Division (2A) is promoted. The last 4 teams in 2A is relegated, and the top four of each of the four groups of 2B go into four playoff groups for the four spots in 2A. The same system of relegation and promotion is used for the 3rd division and lower regional divisions.

Reseve Team football play a large part in Spanish football and until recently some of the better Reserve teams played in the Second Division A (2A). However today they are based in the lower leagues and in contraty to other league systems the Reserve teams for the Primera League clubs are not put up in one seperate league.

note: In 1979/80 Real Madrids reserve team, then called Castilla (today just Real Madrid B, C etc) won the second division, but could not be promoted to the Primera League, this team also reached the Spanish Cup final that year, but lost to Real Madrid 6 - 1. This Real Madrid B team or Castilla as it was called, had such players as Butragueno, Michel and Manuel Sanchis.

In Spain to avoid manipulation of teams, only players under 23 or 25 with a professional contract can switch between first and second teams, and first team players cannot play in the reserve team.

Spanish and EU players cannot switch between teams in the same division during a season, and teams register a fixed first team squad of 25 players for the whole footballing year. But clubs can purchse new players for about a month between 15th December to 15th of January.

Each club are only allowed to have 5 non EU players and with 3 of them playing the same game.

The Copa del Rey (Kings Cup), is seen as less importance (can be compared in importance to the English Worthington Cup). If being a Manager for the top 4-5 clubs in Spain, and you only manage to win the Kings Cup, and fail in the league and other competitions, one should not be surprised that the manager gets fired. Copa del Rey includes all the teams in division 1 and 2A, and the leaders of 2B and 3. The 1st division teams enters the competition in round 3 of the cup while the teams that also play in European competitions enters in the last 16. All matches are played over 2 legs, and if no decision is made, extra time in the second leg is taken into act, with penalty shoot out being the final decision maker.