Why some teams in Europe play in different league than in their country?

As world events turn, especially in Spain, one of the sports doubts that suggest the possible independence of Catalonia from Spain is to know where the Catalan teams will play if the latter is consummated. Therefore, this post will explain how the situation is currently and why some European teams play in championships other than their own.

To begin with, it must be explained that in Spain, with the Sports Law as it currently stands, if Catalonia were to become independent, their teams would have to stop competing. Furthermore, the Spanish Football Federation (FEF) establishes that only teams registered in an autonomous federation that belong to the FEF and the Catalan one can compete in Spanish territory.

The Case Of Fc Andorra

One of the cases to which those who want the independence of Catalonia and at the same time that their teams continue to compete in Spain are seized is that of FC Andorra, which is the country that its name indicates. The whole of the country of the Pyrenees competes in Spain because when it was founded in 1942, there was no football federation in Andorra, and, therefore, they did not have their League either.

The latter was founded in 1994 and was officially recognized by both FIFA and UEFA in 1996. At that time, Andorra created its championship and managed to have its team. The FC Andorra, in the nineties, lived one of his best seasons playing in Segunda B, not interested in playing in the newly created League of their country, which had a very amateur level.

For this reason, because they had been playing in Spain for more than 50 years and their will was to continue competing there, an exception was made in the Sports Law with Andorran teams, which is included in the seventeenth additional provision. Hence that is the reason that FC Andorra continues to compete in Spain today and that Morabanc Andorra basketball, to give another example, does not compete in their native country. It should be noted that this exception to the Sports Law indicates that it is only valid for teams from Andorra and does not indicate anything from other countries, so it would not be valid for Catalan teams.

The Case of As Monaco

The case of AS Monaco is always widely commented on when talking about the future of Barça, Espanyol, and company in an independent Catalonia. Monegasques have played in the French League since the latter’s foundation because the Gauls welcomed the whole of the Principality because they did not have their League there.

Even though many times the opposite is said, Monaco does have its football federation and team. However, despite their many attempts, FIFA and UEFA have not officially recognized them, and without this recognition, it is as if they did not exist. For this reason, as it does not have a professional federation, its League, and a national team, which is not recognized as an amateur, the French Federation can welcome them. Of course, from France, they are increasingly strict with Monaco, so that being a Principality, they do not have tax advantages compared to the rest of the teams that are taxed with French laws.

The Case of The Wales Teams In England

In England, up to five Welsh teams play English competitions, being Swansea and Cardiff, which compete in the lower divisions, the most critical cases. These teams play in England because Wales did not have their League until 1992.

In that year, the Welsh teams were offered two possibilities: they could join the newly created Welsh League or stay in England. They all chose this last option because they feared that the level of their native League would be fragile, and they considered that it was better for them to continue competing in England. In this blog, we have already talked about some of the Welsh league teams like The New Saints.

Regarding England, it is also worth highlighting the case of Celtic and Glasgow Rangers. Both, because the Scottish League is not as competitive as they would like, on many occasions, they have tried to join the Premier League but have always gotten the negative for an answer.

The Case of The Liechtenstein Teams

This is possibly the most curious case of all those reported. Liechtenstein is the only country with a FIFA and UEFA license that does not have its own League. Therefore, it is pretty common to see teams from this country playing in Switzerland. However, not all that glitters is gold, as Switzerland has imposed curious rules for foreign teams.

A Liechtenstein team can never win the League. In the event of that happening, the champion would become the Swiss team that finished in second place. The same happens if a Liechtenstein team qualifies for European competition, it will never play a continental tournament representing Switzerland, even if it is the Europa league, and this is one Europa league betting tips you should know.

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