Payment deadline

All first and second division sides managed to bring their payments to players up to date by the 1st August deadline this season, and for the first time in many years nobody from the top three divisions was relegated for failing to do so. There was one casualty in the lower leagues though, Arteixo (who were already relegated from 2B to the third division after finishing in the bottom four) were demoted down to the regional divisions after they were unable to meet their obligations. Another of the clubs relegated with Arteixo, Gimnastica Torrelevaga, also failed to meet the deadline but were given an extension to try and reach an agreement with one of their players.

Only two first division clubs had debts still outstanding, Deportivo La Coruña (who had an issue with retiring captain Fran) and Racing Santander (three small amounts), but both deposited the necessary guarantees with the Federation by Monday night. In the second division Tenerife and Sporting Gijón had debts of over €1.5 million, but both managed to scrape together the funds, the Asturians in particular only saving themselves when two of their major shareholders bought the debts off the legal administrator of the club. Four other second division sides also paid off smaller amounts, including Córdoba, Málaga B, Terrassa and Lleida, who only recently managed to complete the required capital increase thanks to a further contribution from their largest shareholder.

Arteixo and Gimnastica were the only two out of seventeen second division B clubs not to meet the deadline, the others either paying off the amounts due or persuading their players to drop their claims. These included such well known names as Badajoz, Mérida, Extremadura and Jaén, as well as Rayo Vallecano who cleared debts of almost one million euros on the last day. Las Palmas were also on the Federation list for a €66,000 debt to Hietanen, but they escaped as their administrator informed the authorities that he was unable to pay the amount owing to the player as the club was under legal intervention (although funds are available and he will be paid soon). (02.08.05)