SINGAPORE, July 29 — Spain’s La Liga will change kick-off times and play a pre-season tournament in Asia in a bid to muscle in on the success of the English Premier League in the region.
La Liga CEO Francisco Roca Perez told reporters on the sidelines of the Soccerex Asian forum in Singapore that some 17 matches would be brought forward in the 2010/11 season to increase exposure for his teams in Asia.
English teams, and in particular Manchester United and Liverpool, enjoy phenomenal support in Southeast Asia and the region is viewed as a prime market to develop a fan base.
“Our objective is to be one of the prominent leagues in this part of the world ... if we change the television times, the kick off times this is essential, we have to do it otherwise it will be impossible,” Perez said.
Perez earlier announced the introduction of the International LFP Cup, an annual tournament to begin next year and feature three Spanish sides and one local team in a yet to be arranged southeast Asian country.
“With Spain emerging as champions of the 2010 World Cup, we felt this is the best time to introduce the International LFP Cup and share the beauty of Spanish football with the Asian market,” Perez said in a statement. — Reuters
