Liga MX's expansion to 20 teams is great news for everyone

For many weeks pundits and fans alike have been discussing heatedly against the now very likely postponement of relegation in Liga MX. At the eyes of many, the measure would be advancing the interests of Tv Azteca as owner of teams like Monarcas and Atlas that have fought at the bottom of the relegation table in recent seasons.

Even worse: it would also be obsequious to poorly managed teams, like Puebla or Veracruz, whose rosters are typically filled with far too many medium-quality foreign players at expense of youth development. It would also allow fat cats like Chivas or Pumas to go unpunished following terrible seasons like recent Apertura 2017, where the latter ended bottom of the standing.

But if we see the postponement of relegation as the necessary evil of expanding Liga MX to 20 teams, then the pros would be bigger than the cons. The heart of the matter is considering that the Mexican football tournament enjoys a massive tv market divided between two countries, (Mexico and the United States), while its format of competition with just 18 teams is more characteristic of minor European leagues like Portugal's Primeira Liga or the Netherlands' Eredivisie.

Economically speaking, the expansion does make sense also on sporting grounds if the revenue generated by the extra fixtures allows Liga MX to invest in better signings and new stadiums while it causes local governments' taxpayer money to be less necessary. Of course a number of different reforms will be required such as decreasing the quantity of foreign players and ensuring that the broadcasting rights are negotiated in a way that favors a more even distribution.

The current state of affairs regarding the ongoing relegation battle is not optimum, either. While the board of Lobos BUAP clearly lacked the funds to build a squad able to compete in Liga MX, it nevertheless managed to get top-quality loanees from Tigres and Rayados: Luis Advíncula, Pedro Aquino and Julián Quiñones. Tigres also loaned Brazilian midfielder Alan Santos and experienced defender 'Palmera' Rivas to Veracruz.

Should the Mexican top flight stay in its current 18-clubs format, relegation battle will continue to be decided by the poor clubs' ability to get the best deals from rich clubs, reinforcing the status quo and making play too predictable. In a certain way it would resemble more and more the uneveness and boredom of the Spanish league, where the winners are always the same.

Again, the issue of having a league in which the income is evenly distributed starts with generating more income in the first place.

Liga MX indeed has a large market able to fund a larger competition and expansion seems a natural step forward. Now the next question is how to increase the level of competition and how to make sure the new income is actually reflected on the pitch.