Tickets bought online for this season’s La Liga Santander and La Liga Smart Bank games will be priced to reflect new safety measures, a policy La Liga announced after approval by the National Commission Against Violence in Sports (CEVRXID). The move signals a shift toward digital-only ticketing, with a recipient identifier and a strengthening login verification system that can be activated at any moment, both in visiting sections and throughout the stadium.
The goal behind this change is to boost security around La Liga matches. Online ticketing deters violations of safety protocols and makes it harder for violent and extremist groups to exploit entry processes.
Fan traceability is a clear priority for La Liga, aimed at installing robust safety devices effectively. The path forward includes broad adoption of biometric controls, such as fingerprinting, which operates in a way that remains anonymous to the user. Progress in this area has been steady, tied to the consolidation and development of security operations at entertainment stands where specific safeguards are in place, such as heightened security personnel and non-transferable personal subscriptions.
La Liga reports that data shows a downward trend in activities by risk supporters affiliated with La Liga teams, particularly those connected to La Liga Santander or La Liga SmartBank matches. Clubs have seen virtually no risk events in their stadiums, averaging 14 events per season over the past five years — well below the European league average. This outcome reflects close cooperation between public and private security forces in recent years. Florentino Villabona, La Liga’s Director of Integrity and Security, emphasizes ongoing efforts to introduce new measures that support the State Security Forces and Corps.
Overall, the total activity of risk groups in Spain, as defined by the State Commission against Violence, Racism and Xenophobia, remains among the lowest globally and continues to trend downward.
Despite the positive trend, total acts of violence and direct conflicts involving members of risk groups during this season exceed the averages of prior seasons. Of all reported clashes among these groups, only 40 percent occur during La Liga matches. The movement of risk groups has also slowed, showing a reduction of about one third over the last five years, from 296 incidents to 194.
Violence-inciting and intolerant songs have become one of the few categories rising in frequency, increasing from an average of 50 complaints per season to 99 this year. The tightening of adjudication criteria is a likely factor.
Given the close link between intolerant songs and violent acts, there is a deliberate push to prosecute any chant or act that promotes violence or intolerance. La Liga regularly submits complaints against chants that incite violence at both La Liga SmartBank and La Liga Santander matches and outlines club-recommended measures to be especially strict in this area.
La Liga’s Security Directorate stresses the critical role of coordinated security efforts to reproduce these positive results. This includes consistent criteria and information sharing. A long-standing collaboration with the National Police and the Association of Spanish Fan Clubs’ Federations (AFEPE) — established nearly six years ago — involves biannual meetings to align standards, coordinate actions, and exchange information. In addition, cooperation with the clubs, particularly the security managers within each club, has intensified to strengthen overall security readiness.