Three years ago, La Liga opened its first office in India with a view to involve itself more heavily in the Indian sports market. Through various initiatives, it has managed to set landmarks, especially in the digital arena; the league now has over four million followers on Facebook, where it broadcasts its matches live.
“We have a steady communication with the fans. We have our first Indian sponsors. So we are moving. We are moving but still a lot of work ahead,” Jose Antonio Cachaza, Managing Director, La Liga, told Sportstar here on Saturday.
The growth has been tangible in the digital arena, but Cachaza wasn't prepared to compare the league to others. “For us, it was a great advance to broadcast our matches on Facebook and having all of them for free, but this also means a change in the way our football is consumed. So we are ahead of the times we're ahead of others. So how you compare [market share among competitors] is very difficult,” he said.
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The league has invested, besides other avenues, in grassroots football in India, with the La Liga Football Schools. Elaborating on it, Cachaza said: “We have 30 academies in 14 cities. We are working with 3,000 kids, boys and girls. But it's more about giving the boys and girls an opportunity to play football, to train, in a Spanish way. For that, three UEFA pro coaches – Spanish coaches – are working with Indian coaches, and training the Indian coaches.”
Girona FC, a La Liga team, has already played India, in 2018. But there could be other teams coming to India as well in the near future, Cachaza said.
“We are working to bring at least another club to play in India this year.”
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