La Liga has opted to withdraw its proposal to host the match between Villarreal and Barcelona in Miami this December after a notable backlash – meaning the match would remain in Spain
Following huge backlash from players and fans, La Liga has canceled plans to host Villarreal vs. Barcelona in Miami this December and announced that the match will be held in Spain instead.
In August, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) gave the green light to a plan to move the match between Villarreal and Barcelona to the Hard Rock Stadium on December 20th. However, the call remained highly unpopular in the country, and protests were taking place.
It was the first time a regular season game was held outside of Spain, and the lack of consultation with the players was immediately apparent. Over the weekend, players banded together to highlight their anger, refusing to move for the first 15 seconds of the game.
The match will now be held at Villarreal’s Estadio de la Ceramica as originally scheduled. La Liga cited “uncertainty within Spain” as the deciding factor, while match promoter Lillevant claimed the cancellation was due to “insufficient time” to stage the event.
Apparently hoping to avoid further uproar, La Liga announced the decision on Tuesday night, as Villarreal lost 2-0 at home to Manchester City in the Champions League.
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La Liga said it “deeply regrets” the postponement and said it had dealt a blow to the “international profile of the entire football ecosystem”. The main motivation for bringing the game across the Atlantic was to raise the profile of the game, as the Premier League looks for ways to bridge the gap with leagues across Europe that are envious of the revenue generated by the Premier League.
Villarreal coach Marcelino was furious that the decision was made public during the match. He said: “This is completely disrespectful to the club, the professionals, the board and the fans. There will be a formal communication from the club in the future, but this is just my opinion.”
Real Madrid stalwart Dani Carvajal also expressed anger over the possibility of a match against Miami, infuriating La Liga manager Javier Tebas. “Holding the Barcelona-Villarreal match in Miami distorts the reputation of La Liga and makes the competition unhealthy. It is unfair because it does not allow all La Liga teams to compete on the same terms,” the Spanish defender said.
Barcelona clearly did not have the same idea. The club stated, “We regret that we missed an opportunity to improve the image of the tournament,” while head coach Hansi Flick said, “The players are not satisfied,” and he himself was “not satisfied.”
Spain is not alone in trying this kind of move. After the match against Miami was initially decided, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has decided to sanction the Serie A match between AC Milan and Como to be played in Perth, Australia in February.
Despite similar reactions, it is worth noting that the Spanish Super Cup has been held in Saudi Arabia in four of the past five seasons.
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