Elche Has the Lowest LaLiga Salary Cap
Money and budgets carry substantial weight in football, even if they do not decide every outcome. In particular, the share of television rights revenue can shape a club’s ability to build and balance a squad, especially for teams with smaller budgets. When leagues close their books and transfer figures for a season, the final distribution becomes a telling snapshot of financial reality for each club.
The 2021-2022 season ended with a reveal of how funds from television income were allocated among LaLiga clubs. Elche CF emerged as the team with one of the lower television rights incomes, reporting 45.9 million in television and related revenue. This figure places them among the bottom three clubs, alongside Mallorca and Rayo Vallecano, reflecting the uneven spread of broadcast money across the league and highlighting the challenges faced by smaller clubs in aligning on pitch success with off field earnings.
During this period the Franciverde club saw a decline of 1.4 million relative to the previous campaign, underscoring the broader trend of revenue pressure even for teams returning to top flight competition. These dynamics are crucial when clubs plan for salaries, squad costs, and long term financial commitments that influence strategic decisions for seasons ahead.
When clubs invest and seek to balance accounts, the realities of liabilities and the timing of cash flows shape salary caps and the composition of rosters. In particular, the costs tied to player wages must be weighed against expected performance and the club’s longer term earnings potential. This ongoing budgeting process affects the preparation of squads and the ability to attract talent within the league’s financial framework.
Elche has the lowest salary cap in LaLiga
VL Deltel
Elche finished thirteenth in the league standings, with several other clubs posting lower or comparable revenue figures for broadcast rights. Espanyol, Getafe, Mallorca, Granada, Levante and Alavés trailed behind Elche in the income ladder, yet most had higher television payouts than the Valencian team, underscoring the complexity of earnings distribution even among mid table clubs.
As expected, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona led the income chart, with 160.9 million and 160.1 million respectively. Atlético Madrid followed at a substantial distance with 130.3 million. Seville sits around 87.6 million, while Valencia, Real Sociedad, Villarreal, Athletic Club and Betis all hover in the 65 to 70 million range, reflecting strong regional and fan engagement alongside on pitch performance.
Beyond the top tier, the spread widens considerably. Getafe with 54.6 million and Espanyol with 54.5 million sit in a narrow middle band. Celtic and Granada follow at 53.2 and 51.9 million, with Osasuna, Mallorca, Cadiz and Elche all around the mid forties to mid fifties. The dataset shows that even teams with solid support bases must navigate a widely uneven broadcast revenue landscape.
Cast television season 21-22
1 Real Madrid 160.9
2 Barcelona 160.1
3 Atlético Madrid 130.3
4 Seville 87.6
5 Valencia 69.9
6 Real Sociedad 69.4
7 Villarreal 67.9
8 Athletic Bilbao 66.2
9 Betis 65.5
10 Getafe 54.6
11 Espanyol 54.5
12 Celtic 53.2
13 Granada 51.9
14 Osasuna 50.8
15 Mallorca 45.7
16 Cadiz 47.5
17 majorca 45.9
18 Elche 45.9
19 Rayo Vallecano 45.9
Distribution criteria
LaLiga distributes money from television rights by a formula that weighs sporting results and a club’s social footprint. The calculation considers season ticket sales, matchday revenue, and the commercialization of broadcast rights to reflect a club’s overall contribution to the league’s revenue stream.
That framework explains why Elche, despite achieving its best-ever league finish in recent seasons and earning 42 points, remains among the lower recipients. The club has also carried a solid subscriber base that not all higher earning clubs could claim, illustrating how audience and engagement factor into distribution beyond on pitch outcomes alone.
The discussion around allocations often centers on the strategic decisions made by club owners and management. When asked about spending on squad preparation, the leadership of Elche has defended the approach by highlighting the necessity of sustained competition in the top flight to gradually align with peers such as Espanyol, Celta, Osasuna, Granada, or Alavés, who received larger television rights allocations in prior seasons. The implication is that ongoing investment is needed to reach a higher tier of revenue and competitive parity in the league, especially as teams travel between divisions and adjust their financial plans accordingly.