Can Barcelona B Play in La Liga?
Like the majority of professional football teams, FC Barcelona are no different by having a reserve team set-up within their club. With players like Lionel Messi having played for Barcelona B over the years, Barcelona’s reserve team plays a really important role in player development. A common questions that gets asked by La Liga supporters and enthusiasts is ‘Can Barcelona B Play in La Liga?’.
In this article, we answer this question in full, discussing the rules around Spanish reserve teams playing top flight football, reasons both for and against Barcelona B competing in La Liga, and more. Read on to learn more about this interesting topic!
Table of Contents
Can Barcelona B Play in La Liga?
No, Barcelona B or FC Barcelona Atlètic can’t play in La Liga due to clear Spanish football rules stating that any club’s ‘B’ team should play in at least one division below its first team.
Who Is Barcelona B?
Barcelona B is the reserve team of FC Barcelona, often referred to as FC Barcelona Atlètic. They were founded in 1970 and the team provides a clear pathway for young players from the coveted La Masia academy to progress into the FC Barcelona first team.
The Reason Why Barcelona B Can’t Play in La Liga
The main reason why Barcelona B can’t play top flight football is because of the clear rules outlined by La Liga.
Spanish Football Rules
It’s clearly outlined by La Liga rules that the second team of a Spanish club should play in at least one division below the first team.
For example, if FC Barcelona’s first team play their football in La Liga, which is the top division in Spain, Barcelona B should play their football in at least LaLiga 2, otherwise known as the Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Segunda División.
Reserve teams don’t just have to play in one division below, either, with teams regularly playing their football in divisions further down the Spanish football pyramid, too.
What Happens if FC Barcelona Are Relegated From La Liga?
So, what happens if FC Barcelona’s first team are relegated from La Liga? Well, as per the official rules of the Spanish football system, it would mean that if Barcelona B were in LaLiga 2, they would also have to be relegated, taking them into the third tier of Spanish football.
This is because both the first and second team of a Spanish club can’t play football in the same league as each other. However, the likelihood of Barcelona, one of the two biggest Spanish football teams, getting relegated from the Spanish top flight is incredibly slim. So it’s probably safe for Barcelona B to be playing their football in LaLiga 2.
What Happens if Barcelona B Are Promoted to La Liga?
Another bizarre scenario would be if Barcelona B were promoted to La Liga from LaLiga 2 and FC Barcelona were relegated. If this were to happen, the club would be unable to swap players and compete in the higher-ranked division.
Instead, both clubs would be relegated to stay in accordance with the clear rules outlined by Spanish football.
An interesting scenario played out during the 2010/11 LaLiga 2 season, whereby Barcelona B finished 3rd in the league table under manager Luis Enrique. This meant that they were unable to qualify for the promotion play-offs because FC Barcelona’s first team were playing in the top division.
Arguments in Favour of Barcelona B Playing in La Liga
The main arguments in favour of Barcelona B playing in La Liga are benefits for FC Barcelona themselves, these include – youth development and talent progression, as well as player integration and squad depth. Unfortunately, there aren’t many benefits for other clubs.
Benefits for FC Barcelona
Youth Development and Talent Progression
If Barcelona B were allowed to play in La Liga, there could be some great potential benefits for youth development and talent progression. It’s safe to say that if Barcelona B were able to get promoted from the Spanish Segunda División, it would mean that they were good enough to play top flight Spanish football.
This means that Barcelona would be able to expose their youngest players to a higher standard of football, which, in turn, would improve each player’s skills. In the long run, this would mean that talent progression, which is already incredibly impressive at FC Barcelona, would further improve. We’d see even more youth prospects playing for the first team and at the highest levels on the international stage, too.
Player Integration and Squad Depth
Another benefit of Barcelona B playing in La Liga lies within player integration and squad depth. Most football teams want to adopt and incorporate a style of football that is played at all levels within the club, whether it be the men’s first team, the reserve team or an under 19’s side.
By letting Barcelona B play in La Liga, FC Barcelona’s style of football would be played at a higher level by another squad full of players. This would make player integration between the first team and reserve team much more fluid, with players in the reserve team now having experience playing that style of football at the highest standard of Spanish football.
Not only this, but FC Barcelona’s squad depth would become really deep, having even more academy-developed players to choose from for years to come, similarly to Lionel Messi.
Arguments Against Barcelona B Playing in La Liga
The main two arguments against Barcelona B playing in La Liga are regarding unfair competitive balance and the impact on smaller clubs.
Unfair Competitive Balance
By letting Barcelona B play in La Liga, it would develop an unfair competitive balance in the long run. Essentially, FC Barcelona would have two full squads of players gaining experience and improving their skills at the highest level in Spain.
This means that they could eventually dominate the top flight, while also being able to make an incredible amount of money on potential transfer fees for players.
Impact on Smaller Clubs
La Liga has 20 teams competing in the league each season, and if Barcelona B were allowed to play in this league, FC Barcelona would be taking up two of the league slots. If Barcelona B were able to compete well at this level, in time, the threat of relegation for smaller clubs in the league would increase.
This would most likely cause uproar amongst other clubs, as they would say that it is unfair. In time, it would further widen the gap between smaller clubs and bigger clubs in Spain.
Can Barcelona B Play in the Copa del Rey?
No, Barcelona B aren’t allowed to play in the prestigious Copa del Rey tournament. This decision was made following a rule change that took place in 1990, outlining that Spanish club’s reserve teams would no longer be able to participate.
Prior to this rule change, reserve teams were allowed to play in this cup competition, and in 1980, something significant happened. Real Madrid’s reserve team, Real Madrid Castilla, managed to reach the Copa del Rey final during the 1979/80 season.
Who were their opponents for the final? None other than their first team, Real Madrid! It was an utterly bizarre situation that unravelled, however, the dream for Real Madrid’s reserve team was put to an abrupt end after they lost the final 6-1.
Although they lost the final, Castilla still qualified for the European Cup Winners Cup, because Real Madrid had already qualified for the competition after winning La Liga.
Barcelona B: Record Breakers
Barcelona B were record breakers during the 2016/17 season while playing in Segunda B Group 3. Whilst playing in the third tier of Spanish football, Barcelona B achieved a mammoth 82 points. This was a joint-record with UD Levante’s 82 points during the 1995/96 campaign.
Conclusion
Due to strict rules set by La Liga, Barcelona B are unable to play in the Spanish top flight, and for good reason. By letting reserve teams play at the highest levels, you are at threat of creating an unfair balance across Spanish football.
Although there would be some really great benefits for clubs who could field reserve sides capable of playing in La Liga, the overall negative effect of allowing them to do so would not be beneficial for the wider game.
We hope that you learned something new today in this Elastico article!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which League Does Barcelona B Play In?
Barcelona B will always play in at least one division lower than FC Barcelona’s first team. Over the years, they have mainly spent their time playing in the second and third tiers of Spanish football.
