Following the recent announcement by Spain's secretary of sport, Irene Lozano, that the Primera División — the highest women’s league in the country — will turn professional next season, GiveMeSport Women took a closer look at what that means for its clubs.Alongside this exciting new venture for women’s football in Spain, Lozanzo also noted that the league would be renamed ‘Liga Ellas’. Speaking about the news, she said:"The transition towards the professionalisation of football will begin with the 'Liga Ellas’. We owe it to our women footballers."

There will also be another change to the division: reducing the current 18-team format to 16.
The TV rights for the league are being handled by an independent marketer according to Lozano, while the CSD, the highest council in Spanish sport, will be in charge of the competition until 2024.
After this, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) will run the league, as agreed by all clubs in the division.

What does this mean for Spain’s top clubs?

The announcement is encouraging for European women’s football, as Spain are currently ranked 12th in the world. By moving to a professional league, it will help bring through a higher calibre of player for all 16 teams and, potentially, bring more well-known stars into the country.

Lieke Martens

Currently, Barcelona sit top the division by nine points, winning all 20 of their games. The Catalonian giants have three games in-hand on second-placed Levante, and recently beat Manchester City 3-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Despite not being fully professional this year, the league also boasts a few superstar names, such as Spain’s leading goalscorer Jennifer Hermoso, England's Toni Duggan, and Netherland’s Lieke Martens. The move to a fully professional league means Spain and England will be the only full-time divisions in Europe.

England's top flight, the Women's Super League, will also be boosted next season. The WSL has signed a three-year multi-million pound deal with Sky Sports and BBC Sport, which further demonstrates the significant level of investment currently being put into the women's game.