LIGA - From Messi to Depay: what does it mean to register a player?

Have you ever wondered how the transfer market works from the inside? When a player's signature is agreed, what do both directors do to officially complete the deal and register the player with LaLiga? Interesting focus of LaLiga, which after the much discussed cases of Lionel Messi (who moved to Paris Saint-Germain) or Depay-Aguero-Eric Garcia (registered by Barcelona thanks to the salary cut of Captain Piqué) explains how since the summer of 2016 the Spanish clubs use digitized software called LaLiga Manager to make all player transactions in or out. More than 2,000 transfers were handled using this software, making the process of buying and selling players easier, more comfortable and more secure.

LaLiga Manager is an online tool that provides club officials making a transfer with all documents that need to be completed or uploaded to the system, ensuring that each transaction is completed correctly using accurate and verifiable information. It also contains all the FIFA, UEFA and LaLiga regulations that must be respected both in the event that the arriving player is free and in the event that an economic adjustment is paid or a termination clause is triggered. One of the latest updates to the platform even included a bridge with "Fénix", which is the RFEF system: a necessary step for the final processing of the license, so that all formalities can be carried out by LaLiga Manager.

The custom application is very easy and intuitive to use. Club officials log in from anywhere and are guided through a simple process of entering information into the relevant spaces by selecting options from menus. Just as if they were using their personal online banking system on their phone or booking a plane or train ticket via the web.

Thus, once an agreement has been reached with the selling club, and the terms of the contract have been defined with the player himself, an official of the buying club opens LaLiga Manager to communicate all the details to LaLiga. As soon as the aforementioned club completes the player application process, a LaLiga manager uses LaLiga Manager to review all documentation, checking that everything is correct and that all rules have been followed.

LaLiga also reviews all transfers to ensure compliance with Spanish football economic control and cost limit regulations. This ensures that clubs respect the agreed spending for each season and helps LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank clubs to operate with their own means and resources, while keeping staff costs within limits. It is worth noting that LaLiga does not impose individual wage restrictions, that is, there is no maximum salary for a single player. Clubs can spend their money however they want as long as they don't exceed agreed limits.

When the deal involves two Spanish clubs, the selling club also uses LaLiga Manager to verify all data entered by the other party. The LaLiga team will again review how the deal affects agreed financial controls and make appropriate assessments. The LaLiga Manager system thus ensures that all transfers, including those made at the last minute on the market, are successful.