November 28 – Spain’s LaLiga and the South Korea’s K League have agreed to extend their collaboration agreement until the end of 2026 in an expansion that will cover a broader spectrum of development for Korea’s elite sides.
With an agreement already in place between the new organisations, the new terms come into force from the 1 January 2024. The details of the agreement have expanded to include Esports, matchday preparations, academic training, Women’s football and the fight against racism and discrimination.
“We are very pleased with the renewal of our MOU with K League. Since we started working together at the end of 2020, we have discovered more and more areas of collaboration and possibilities for joint development and we are convinced that both competitions will be able to benefit from this exchange of knowledge and shared experiences to continue growing,” said Oscar Mayo (pictured right) LaLiga’s executive director.
This season has witnessed K League clubs conduct a series of training camps in Spain with youth teams from FC Seoul, Jeonbuk Hyundai, and Ulsan Hyundai engage in matches against teams from clubs such as Atlético de Madrid, Leganés, Rayo Vallecano, and Getafe.
K League club execs also visited Spain, seeking first hand insights into the operational dynamics of clubs including FC Barcelona, Valencia, Espanyol, Villarreal, and Atlético de Madrid. This visit spurred a new agreement that places increased emphasis on critical sports management aspects like the internal structuring of clubs and professional development within the organisations.
Yeon Sang Cho (pictured left) General Secretary of K League said: “In the past three years with LaLiga, K League has made great progress in various fields. Through the reinforced cooperative relationship between the leagues, we look forward to seeing that both leagues will accomplish the key goals and raise our status in world football”.
As the year draws to a close, two further collaboration sessions are slated. One session entails South Korean television executives visiting Spain to gain comprehensive knowledge about technological advancements in LaLiga broadcasts.
Additionally, a training session designed for K League coaches, conducted by experts from LaLiga and club technicians, is also on the agenda, highlighting the commitment to mutual learning and development between these leagues as per their agreement.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1716095602labto1716095602ofdlr1716095602owedi1716095602sni@g1716095602niwe.1716095602yrrah1716095602