The history of the Spanish La Liga

Posted by vijayvinson on November 2nd, 2012

The love of the Europeans for soccer cannot be explained in words. Some of the best teams in the world come from this continent. The first signs of football in Spain showed up in the 19th century and the love for the game spread like wild fire, thanks to the passion of the Spanish and English students who returned home after completing their work overseas. When the British workers established Spain’s first football club, Recreativo de Huelva, in the year 1889, they did not know that it might be the first step towards the creation of Spanish La Liga, one of the premier football associations in the world. Also known as the Primera Division by the Spanish and many others, it enjoys a strong fan following all over the world. The La Liga soccer championships are among the most eagerly anticipated events in the world of football.

The first ever football match in Spain, after the founding of the first club in 1889, was held in 1890 between Colonia Inglesa and Recreativo Huelva. There were a total of 20 players of British origin who participated in this game. Though this game did not enjoy worldwide viewership that the La Liga soccer championships do now, it was a significant game at that point of time. Basque students, Durham miners and workers from the Portsmouth and Southampton ports came together to form the second club in Spain called the Athletic Club in the year 1898. A few years later, in 1903, this club joined hands with the Bilbao football club to form the Athletic club de Bilbao. Though this club was a far cry from the current Spanish La Liga club, it was considered to be a significant milestone.

Many years later, after the formation of many more clubs in the country, Jose Maria Acha, put forward the idea of the formation of a professional football club Spain in the year 1927. Over a period of two years and after rounds and rounds of discussions about the teams that would be a part of the club and the league’s size, the Primera Division which is now known as the Spanish La Liga came into existence in the year 1929. Some of the teams that were a part of the La Liga soccer club when it first came into existence were Real Madrid, Barcelona, Real Union, Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad.

Of all the teams that were a part of the Spanish La Liga when it was first formed, only Athletic Bilbao, Barcelona and Real Madrid have never been relegated from the first division till date. Between the 1960s and 1980s, Real Madrid was a true favourite and won the La Liga soccer championship titles fourteen times. However, both Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao have proven to be the Achilles heel for Real Madrid on more than one occasion. In the last championship season held in 2011, there were a total of twenty teams that participated in the league games. Over the years, this championship has amassed a huge loyal fan base all over the world and has become a global favourite.

Are you a Spanish La Liga fan? Please visit our website for all the news and developments in the field of La Liga soccer.