Andorra Lliga Teams Rush to Meet 16-Player Deadline Before Opener

Only five of Andorra's ten Lliga Multisegur Assegurances teams had met the minimum 16-player registration requirement as the league opener loomed, but the situation has improved markedly in recent days, with seven clubs now cleared and three still lagging.

FC Ordino faces the most pressure, holding just six validated players on the FAF website as of Friday, less than 48 hours before its Sunday 5pm clash with Sporting Escaldes. Immigration offices saw queues from club officials rushing to finalize paperwork. Ranger’s and Penya Encarnada each have 12 registrations, below the 16-player threshold for full competition—though 13 suffice to field a team. All three risk last-minute scrambles but could still align in time.

Teams now compliant include Inter Escaldes (24), Atlètic Escaldes (20), Sporting Escaldes (22), FC Santa Coloma (22), Casa de Portugal (18), Carroi (19), and Esperança (22). Club officials remain confident all will be ready, with Ordino's incoming Mexican investors stating they control around 20 licenses, most already activated, expecting them to appear on the FAF site by Saturday.

The push follows last season's permit quota exhaustion, which sparked a federation strike, delayed the start by over a month, and prompted the government to suspend federated activities. To prevent repeats, authorities and the FAF allocated 150 professional sports permits: 10 per Lliga Multisegur club, 20 each for MoraBanc and FC Andorra, and 10 others.

A new feature this season, Football Video Support (FVS), offers coaches up to two match reviews for goals, penalties, red cards, or mistaken identity, with all goals checked automatically. If a review flips the call, the challenge remains available. Referees underwent FIFA training for its rollout.