Top Spanish clubs link up over TV negotiations

Twelve of Spain's most powerful football clubs, including Real Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia, have announced their intention to set up a group to defend their common economic interests as part of the negotiations for a new television rights deal.

The move is seen as further evidence of the growing split amongst Spanish clubs in their stance over the shape of a possible new TV deal, which is due to be in place before next season.

The group of 12, which includes only first division clubs, argue that they should gain a larger slice of television revenues to reflect their greater pulling power amongst viewers who subscribe to pay per view channels.

Three of the clubs -- Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid -- have already signed lucrative new agreements to sell their rights on an individual basis, while several others are in the process of negotiating similar deals.

The group find themselves in opposition to the remaining 30 first and second division sides who are in favour of a collective sale and have threatened to delay the start of the 2003-2004 season until a satisfactory TV deal has been agreed.

The Spanish Football League (LFP) has said it has not yet received a satisfactory offer for the sale of television rights.

LFP president Pedro Tomas said on Tuesday that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez had told him that the group of 12 clubs would not be attending a meeting on Thursday at which the threat to delay the season is scheduled to be discussed.

"This decision is a reflection of the great uncertainty that has been created as a result of the negotiations over television rights," said Tomas, who added that he would be doing all he could to avoid the deepening of the divisions between the big and small clubs.