La Liga looks for place in hoops-crazy PH

The La Liga trophy on display upon entering La Liga 29, a restaurant owned and operated by the Spanish league here in Madrid

MADRID—The Philippines is among the countries that are part of La Liga’s continuing plans to not only broaden its reach but to also further promote the beautiful game of football.

“We’re sharing the experience of what La Liga has had in the last few years which is to help football, or soccer—depending where you came from—more successful and stronger everywhere,” Joris Evers, La Liga’s Chief Communications Officer, said Thursday.

In a welcome dinner at La Liga 29 here, Evers shared with a group of journalists from different countries including The Inquirer the progress the Spanish league has been doing since 2016.

La Liga has already started raising awareness in the Philippines, a basketball hotbed which is not traditionally a football country. From Filipino-themed social media posts to working with local partners, La Liga has traced an upward growth in awareness and engagement.

La Liga recently tapped into the interests of Filipino fans rooting for either Real Madrid and Barcelona, holding a watch party during a recent duel between the two rivals, whose showdowns are known as “El Clasico.”

“I hope our Pinoy football fans all enjoyed this magnificent game and experience,” La Liga’s Philippine delegate Almudena Gomez said. “As the tagline puts it: this is the rivalry that unites the world—because we share the same passion.”