Supporters have been cleared to return to venues in Spain to watch their teams after the lifting of coronavirus restrictions
Fans will be allowed to return to stadiums for the start of the 2021-22 La Liga season, Spanish health minister Carolina Darias has confirmed.
Supporters were unable to attend La Liga matches for the majority of last season due to social distancing restrictions designed to contain the spread of coronavirus.
However, stadium doors were opened to 5,000 people for the final two rounds of matches, and it has now been revealed that higher capacity crowds will return for the upcoming campaign.
What's been said?
The health minister confirmed that the Government of Spain has agreed to suppress the article that prohibited public access to professional football and basketball sporting events across the country.
"We abolished article 15.2 of the regulation of the new normal that has to do with the influx of public from the ACB Professional Football and Basketball League," Darias said at a public appearance on Thursday.
"We delete this article and can return let's say to normality in terms of fans being allowed into stadiums. It will have to be, as it was before, the regional authorities who determine the capacity.
"I am sure that it will be a very positive reception from the whole world of sport and the country."
Will La Liga stadiums be full next term?
It is unlikely that Spanish top-flight venues will reach their maximum capacities next season, but La Liga president Javier Tebas did recently state that he expects them to be at least 70 per cent full when the competition kicks off in August.
Spain played in front of 12,000 fans in their Euro 2020 group stage matches at La Cartuja stadium in Seville, which was in line with the 30 per cent crowd limit that has been in place since the final weeks of the last La Liga campaign.
Who won La Liga in 2020-21?
Atletico Madrid coped best in the absence of fans in 2020-21 as they clinched their first La Liga crown in seven years, pipping arch-rivals Real Madrid to the finishing post on the final day.
Barcelona ended up in third place while Sevilla earned the final Champions League spot, but seventh-placed Villarreal also gained entry to the competition by winning the Europa League.