Thirty Spanish clubs threaten delay to league start

A group of 30 Spanish first and second division clubs is threatening to delay the start of the 2003-04 league season until a new deal for TV rights has been agreed.

The 30 clubs made the threat at the general assembly of Spain's football league (LFP) in Madrid on Thursday.

The current television deal runs out at the end of the season and several clubs, including Real Madrid and Barcelona, have already signed lucrative new agreements to sell their rights on an individual basis.

Thirty of the remaining clubs are pushing for the rest of the rights to be sold collectively and they want to see a better offer on the table before the new season begins.

"The Spanish league is recognised as the best in the world ... yet it is only the fifth in terms of the money generated by television rights," the LFP said in a statement released after the meeting.

"That justifies calls for an increase in rights money but the (television) companies can be seen to be wasting time with unacceptable offers, while at the same time dividing a group that is committed to the collective sale of rights."

"The group of 30 clubs has made clear its determination to paralyse the start of the new season if, by that time, a satisfactory offer has not been made, in accordance with the true value of the product."

The LFP has remained tight-lipped in public about the amount of money being sought for the sale of rights but media reports have put the figure at around 240 million euros ($264 million) per season for the top two divisions.