Spanish Football Federation aims to guarantee viability of clubs with loan fund

The Spanish Football Federation has made a fund of 500 million euros – approximately £450million – available in loans to help clubs experiencing financial difficulties because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The money, for LaLiga and Segunda Division teams, aims to guarantee the viability of clubs and ensure they are able to pay wages.

The federation is also making four million euros (£3.6million) available for non-professional clubs and offering the services of its psychologists and physiotherapists for national health efforts along with the Spain national team’s hotel.

Federation president Luis Rubiales told a press conference: “Hopefully we can soon return to normality in all areas.

“We are working with the magnificent work of the territorial federations to solve problems. The words to which I want to appeal are unity, hope, rigour and discipline towards the victims, the authorities and society as a whole. Together we will defeat the virus.”

Football in Spain was suspended indefinitely earlier this week and the country’s death toll from the virus is now higher than any other except Italy.

Rubiales said the intention remained to complete the current season, saying: “Many voices will emerge and we have a voice from the beginning that says health first, then you have to finish the competitions when they can be resumed and finally address what the next season will be like.

“We feel comfortable like this and we have broadcast to the clubs.

“We were quite cautious and not very optimistic about being able to play soon. We see it almost impossible to do so at the beginning of May – and I hope I’m wrong. We should consider starting to play games beyond June 30 and tackle the losses this causes with solutions.”