Diogo Jota's "20" and LaLiga's Inflexible Regulations

The recent and tragic death of Diogo Jota, Liverpool's forward, has deeply moved the football world, leading the English club to make an unprecedented decision: the number 20 jersey worn by Jota will never be used by another player. "The number 20 will be immortalized for his contributions as part of Liverpool's 2024-25 season title-winning squad," the club announced, a gesture aimed at paying a permanent tribute to the Portuguese footballer.

This noble act has sparked a wave of requests for other leagues, including Spain's LaLiga, to follow suit and retire jersey numbers in honor of their own fallen heroes. However, the response from Spain has been clear: it's not possible, and the reasons might surprise many.

The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) maintains strict regulations regarding player numbering. According to their statutes, first-team players' jerseys must be numbered between 1 and 25, with numbers 1 and 13 exclusively reserved for goalkeepers. While this rule doesn't explicitly prohibit retiring a jersey, it indirectly penalizes clubs. Every retired number means a club loses the opportunity to register a player in its main squad, a valuable slot less available for the team.

Despite these regulations, there have been attempts by Spanish clubs to honor their figures. A notable case was that of Extremadura UD after the passing of José Antonio Reyes in 2019. The then-president, Manuel Franganillo, announced that Reyes's "19" jersey would be permanently retired. However, the intention clashed with reality when, in the 2019/2020 season, a new player was introduced wearing a jersey that prominently featured the number "19." This caused significant discontent among fans, leading the president to deny that the jersey would be used and to attribute it to a "printing error," offering apologies to Reyes's family. Unfortunately, Extremadura UD ceased to exist in 2022, taking with it the debate over Reyes's jersey.

The situation highlights a clear difference between the leagues. While the Premier League offers flexibility for clubs to pay posthumous tributes to their legends, LaLiga's regulations prioritize squad functionality, preventing teams from retiring jersey numbers without sacrificing a valuable roster spot.