Miami match cancellation a ‘missed opportunity’ – Tebas

The cancellation of La Liga’s plan to hold a Barcelona match in Miami in December is a “missed opportunity” for Spanish football, the league’s president said Wednesday.

Champions Barca were set to face Villarreal in the United States on December 20, which would have been the first European league fixture to be played abroad.

The match will now be held at Villarreal’s Estadio de la Ceramica home as normal.

La Liga said their promoter for the match decided to cancel the organisation of the event because of “uncertainty generated in Spain in recent weeks”.

La Liga president Javier Tebas took to X to express regret at not being able to seize “this historic opportunity”, adding that Spanish football had missed a chance to “develop, to project itself in the world and reinforce its future”.

The plan to hold the match in the United States had been criticised by various parties.

The Spanish Footballers’ Association (AFE) organised protests against it last weekend, with players from every team remaining immobile for 15 seconds at the start of each league match.

Spanish giants Real Madrid also railed against it institutionally, while goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said Tuesday it would adulterate the competition.

Madrid captain Dani Carvajal told Tebas the game being held abroad would be “a stain” on the competition.

Tebas added: “We are appealing to the ‘integrity of the competition’ from those who have been questioning this same integrity for years, putting pressure on referees and managers, constructing distorted narratives or using political and media pressure as a sporting tool.”