Organizers ran out of time to make the widely condemned La Liga fixture between Barcelona and Villarreal that was scheduled to be held in Miami official resulting in a postponement.
“Relevent has informed La Liga of the need to postpone the planned match between Villarreal CF and FC Barcelona in Miami on December 20,” Relevent’s statement read (via The Athletic).
In August, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) approved the request to stage the aforementioned domestic bout overseas, with Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium selected as its location. UEFA had previously given their reluctant approval on Oct. 6.
The staging of domestic fixtures abroad has been met with widespread criticism, especially in Spain. At the weekend, players across La Liga, including those representing Barça and Villarreal, opted to protest by standing still for 15 seconds after their games kicked off, although La Liga reportedly tried to limit the damage by instructing broadcasters not to show the players’ action.
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“La Liga deeply regrets that this project, which represented a historic and unparalleled opportunity for the internationalization of Spanish football, cannot go ahead,” La Liga said in a statement.
“The staging of an official match outside our borders would have been a decisive step in the global expansion of our competition, strengthening the international presence of clubs, the positioning of players and the Spanish football brand in a strategic market such as the United States.
“The project fully complied with federation regulations and did not affect the integrity of the competition, as confirmed by the competent institutions that oversee compliance, which opposed it for other reasons.”
While Relevent dressed it up as a logistical issue, the hostility towards the overseas fixture could have played a role in the postponement. In addition to player protests, Real Madrid called on FIFA to step in, suggesting the game would “undermine” the integrity of La Liga, with Villarreal essentially being stripped of a home game.
Now, it looks like the clash will be back in Spain, with the Yellow Submarine poised to host the Blaugrana at the Estadi de la Ceràmica in December.
AC Milan’s Serie A clash with Como is being targeted for Perth, Australia, next year, with the two leagues attempting all they can to increase revenue and exposure in a bid to make up the distinct financial deficit between themselves and the almighty Premier League.
