Birmingham City’s Carlos Vicente: EFL Championship is physically above LaLiga

Former Deportivo Alavés winger Carlos Vicente explains decision to join Birmingham City and compares Championship to LaLiga

Carlos Vicente made headlines in January when he swapped Deportivo Alavés for Birmingham City in a £6.9 million move (€8m) that raised eyebrows across Spain.

The winger had impressed in LaLiga, registering 17 goals and 12 assists across two seasons, making his decision to drop into the EFL Championship a surprising one for many.

Despite questions over his ambition at the time, Vicente insists he has no regrets and is settling well into life in England.

“[My adjustment is going] very well,” he said in an interview with AS. “The club has gone out of its way to help me in every way possible over the past few months, and even though we’ve gone through a rough patch both as a team and personally, I’m already feeling very comfortable here.

“My life here is very peaceful, and I spend my time training, resting, eating well, reading, and studying.”

Championship stronger than LaLiga?

Beyond the financial aspect, Vicente also highlighted the differences in playing standards between England and Spain.

Asked to compare the Championship with Spain’s second tier, he did not hesitate.

“Much higher. I’ve played in both, and here you see players you’ll never see in Hypermotion (Spain’s second tier). I’d say physically it’s on par with LaLiga or even a little above it, quality aside. It’s a very strong league.”

He also pointed to the wider structure around clubs as a key difference.

“Above all, the facilities and resources the clubs have, which are generally far superior to what we have in our country,” he said.

“And I’m not just talking about Birmingham. In terms of play, the pace is very intense, but the matches are more physical, with a more direct style of play, more physicality, more pressure, and a lot of aerial play.”

Despite significant investment from owners including Tom Wagner and minority shareholder Tom Brady, Birmingham’s season has not gone to plan, with the club sitting 14th and out of playoff contention.

“This season, yes [the playoffs are far away], but it’s still my big dream,” Vicente added. “It was one of the reasons I chose to come here. If I didn’t know the club had that goal, I probably would have made a different decision. We have a solid foundation to make a run at it next season.”

Carlos Vicente salary at Birmingham

The move was widely viewed as financially motivated, and Vicente’s contract reflects that.

He is believed to earn around £50,000 per week, roughly £2.6 million per year in fixed salary, making him one of Birmingham’s top earners.

His three-and-a-half-year deal, signed in January 2026, could rise to approximately £3.25 million annually with bonuses included.