ARCHIVED - Fans to return to football stadiums to see out La Liga season in Spain

Football fans in Spain will be able to return to some stadiums for the remaining games of La Liga season.

The Spanish Government has given the green light to the return of the public for the last two La Liga games of the season in the regions of Valencia, Murcia, Galicia and the Balearic Islands.

While the season is almost finished, the news will be welcomed by thousands of supporters, although there will be a capacity limit of 30 per cent and crowds must not exceed 5,000 spectators.

With the advance of the vaccination campaign, the Spanish government has deemed it safe to also allow the return of spectators to ABC league basketball stadiums in the same regions for the remainder of the season.

💼Rodriguez Uribes | Ministro de Deportes

⚽️🏀"Vamos a volver a tener público en @LaLiga y en la @ACBCOM"

⛔️"SOLO en Comunidades que estén en la Fase 1 de la pandemia". (Baleares y la Comunidad Valenciana).

🏟️"El 30% del estadio. Con un tope, 5.000 personas". pic.twitter.com/d02bPNbLdq

— Tiempo de Juego (@tjcope) May 12, 2021

The Minister of Sports, José Luis Rodríguez Uribes, and Health Minister, Carolina Darias, announced the move at a press conference on Wednesday, May 12 - news that supporters have been waiting 14 months to hear since it was revealed matches would be played "behind closed doors" in March 2020.

But there was disappointment for La Liga, which had asked that football stadiums also be opened in the First and Second divisions, given that the stadiums are smaller- a request which has been refused except for those in the autonomous communities listed above.

On Sunday, May 16, the penultimate day of the league and in front of a live audience, Valencia will take on Eibar and Villarreal will go head-to-head against Sevilla.

And on the last day of La Liga season, Sunday, May 23, Elche will face Athletic Club and Celta take on Betis with fans cheering their sides on.

IMAGE: Valencia CF/Twitter