LaLiga, the premier professional football league of Spain, has announced the cancellation of a regular-season game between Villarreal and Barcelona that was scheduled to be held in Miami this December. The decision was made public on Tuesday.
The decision to call off the match came from Relevent, LaLiga's partner in North America. According to a brief statement released by LaLiga, this move was prompted by reactions generated within Spain following the announcement of plans to hold a league fixture on foreign soil.
La Liga released statement:
"Following discussions with the promoter of the match in Miami, the latter has announced its decision to cancel the organisation of the event due to the uncertainty generated in Spain in recent weeks. LaLiga deeply regrets that this project, which represented a historic and unparalleled opportunity for the internationalisation of Spanish football, cannot go ahead.
"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."
Relevent confirmed their stance with an official statement: "We have informed LaLiga of the need to postpone the planned match between Villarreal and Barcelona in Miami on Dec. 20. Given the current uncertainty in Spain, there is insufficient time to properly execute an event of this scale."
They further added that it would be irresponsible for them to start selling tickets without having a confirmed match set up. Tickets for this much-anticipated match were initially planned for release during this week at Hard Rock Stadium where it was supposed to take place. However, due to these recent developments, presale tickets' launch has been delayed indefinitely. On Tuesday itself, LaLiga had announced that ticket sales would be postponed but attributed it merely as a technical issue.
Opposition from players and fan groups
The plan faced significant opposition right from its inception not only from fan groups but also from players within LaLiga who staged protests last weekend against holding fixtures overseas. Real Madrid also joined forces with those opposing these plans and called upon FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association), UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) and Spain's Sports Ministry (CSD) urging them all collectively block such initiatives. This game between Villarreal and Barcelona had been slated as potentially the first regular-season game from one of Europe's Big Five leagues to be held overseas.
Despite this setback, other European leagues are still planning to hold matches abroad. Italy's Serie A, for instance, is planning AC Milan vs Como in Perth, Australia in February. This shows that the idea of holding regular-season games overseas is still very much alive and could become a new trend in international football.
While LaLiga's decision may have disappointed some fans looking forward to an international spectacle, it also highlights the importance of considering players' perspectives and fan sentiments when making such significant decisions about fixtures. The future of overseas matches remains uncertain but continues to be a topic of interest among sports fans and sports betting enthusiasts alike.
