`World champions` Spain set to impose 1000-euro fine for street soccer players

Madrid: People who play football on the streets of Spain could be hit with fines of up to 1,000 euros if new proposals by the Spanish government are given the green light by the country`s parliament, according to reports.

According to The Local, for many kids in Spain`s dense urban centres the streets are one of the few places to play football. These urban spaces provide an informal training ground for a national team which currently holds the World and European champions, and for a football league considered by many to be the world`s best, the report said. However, the country`s street football tradition could be under threat from the latest draft of the Spanish Government`s controversial draft Citizen Security Law, passed at a cabinet meeting on Friday, the report added. This draft proposes fines from 100 euros to 1,000 euros for the practice of games or sports activities in public spaces not designed for them, the report further said. Those fines will be payable when there is a risk of damage to people or property or when the circulation of people or traffic is impeded, the report mentioned.