La Liga forced to cancel the match between Villareal and Barcelona which was supposed to be played in Miami. Taking a step back after protests from fans and players, the organizers preferred to give up
In the end, the protests of the fans, other clubs and players – although censored by La Liga – produced the maximum result: the match between Villarreal and Barcelona will not be played in Miami but will remain in Spain. End of Javier Tebas’ dream of bringing a Spanish championship match to the rich American market, defying everyone’s ire. The step backwards, preceded by the freezing of ticket sales, came like a bolt from the blue, when all that was missing was the green light from FIFA once that of the Madrid federation and UEFA had been received.
Here is the press release that made the cancellation of the match official: “La Liga communicates that, following discussions with the promoter of the official La Liga match in Miami, the latter has announced the decision to cancel the event due to the uncertainty that has characterized Spain in recent weeks.
La Liga deeply regrets that this project, which represented a historic and unprecedented opportunity for the internationalization of Spanish football, cannot be continued. Hosting an official match outside our borders would have been a decisive step in the global expansion of our competition, strengthening the international presence of the clubs, the positioning of the players and the brand of Spanish football in a strategic market such as the United States.
The project was fully compliant with federal regulations and did not affect the integrity of the competition, as confirmed by the competent institutions overseeing its implementation, which objected for other reasons.
In a context of increasing global competitiveness, where leagues such as the Premier League and competitions such as the UEFA Champions League continue to increase their reach and capacity to generate revenues, initiatives such as this are essential to ensure the sustainability and growth of Spanish football. Forgoing these types of opportunities hinders the generation of new revenues, limits the ability of clubs to invest and compete and reduces the international reach of the entire Spanish football ecosystem.
Finally, La Liga would like to thank the clubs for their availability and collaboration in this project, as well as for their constant commitment to the growth of the competition. We will continue to work, as always, to bring Spanish football to every corner of the world, promoting an open, modern and competitive vision for the benefit of clubs, players and fans.”
