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La Liga have confirmed that their plans to play Villarreal vs Barcelona in Miami, United States, have been scrapped. They have taken the call after protest from the players of all 20 teams during the weekend, and the uproar from fans in Spain.
Javier Tebas, the president of La Liga, was the driving force behind the league's decision to host a match in the United States to expand the reach and open new streams of income for the clubs. However, he has now been forced to halt his plans despite getting approval from UEFA earlier this month.
In a statement released by La Liga, they said:
"La Liga deeply regrets that this project, which represented a historic and unparalleled opportunity for the internationalization of Spanish football, cannot go ahead. 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 our clubs, the positioning of our players, and the brand of Spanish football in a strategic market like the United States."
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"The project fully complied with federal regulations and did not affect the integrity of the competition, as confirmed by the competent institutions that oversee its implementation, which were opposed for other reasons. In a context of increasing global competitiveness, where leagues like the Premier League and competitions like the UEFA Champions League continue to increase their reach and resource-generating capacity, initiatives like this are essential to ensuring the sustainability and growth of Spanish football."
"Forgoing these types of opportunities hinders the generation of new revenue, limits clubs' ability to invest and compete, and diminishes the international reach of the entire national football ecosystem. Finally, La Liga wishes to thank the clubs for their willingness and collaboration in this project, as well as their ongoing commitment to the growth of the competition. We will continue working, as always, to bring Spanish football to every corner of the world, championing an open, modern, and competitive vision that benefits clubs, players, and fans."
Villarreal vs Barcelona was set to take place in Miami in December.
La Liga players protested against Villarreal vs Barcelona in Miami
All teams in La Liga protested against the league's decision to play Villarreal vs Barcelona in Miami, United States. All games were paused for 10 seconds by the players right after kick off, with no movement on the pitch until the second pass was made.
La Liga were unimpressed with the protest and opted against showing the kick-off of all games and the protest from the players. The telecast showed outside of the stadiums and the fans inside before the second pass was completed. The Barcelona board were confident that the game would go ahead in Miami.
However, a decision was taken late on Tuesday, hours after Real Madrid's Dani Carvajal and Thibaut Courtois criticized La Liga president Javier Tebas for his decision.
