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Spanish Soccer
Top Flight Soccer in Spain - La Liga
La Liga is the most commonly used term to refer to the first – or primera – division of the Spanish Liga de Fútbol Profesional. Though dominated over the years by Barcelona and Real Madrid La Liga consists of 20 teams and follows similar promotion and relegation rules to the English Football League, whereby the three teams that finish at the bottom of the league every season are relegated to the Segunda Division, while the top three teams there are promoted. Of the twenty teams that are in La Liga for the 2009/10 season only three have never been relegated – Barcelona, Real Madrid and Athletic Bilboa.
The league was first formed in 1929 and during those years it is Real Madrid who have won the most titles, at 31, although the 2008/09 champions were their arch rivals Barcelona.
In 2009/2010 La Liga consists of the following teams. Almería, Athletic Bilbao, Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, Deportivo, Espanyol, Getafe, Malaga, Mallorca, Osasuna, Racing Santander, Real Madrid, Sevilla, Sporting de Gijón, Tenerife, Valencia, Valladolid, Villarreal, Xerez and Zaragoza.
