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La Liga’s decision to backtrack on plans to play a league game in the United States has vindicated angry football fans in Spain.
The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), which had originally scheduled the match for Villarreal’s Estadio de la Ceramica on 21 December, has now approved the game to take place in Miami.
This decision was made in August and it sparked an enormous backlash. Last weekend, players from 20 clubs in La Liga refused to move during the first 15 seconds each match.
The Spanish Footballers’ Association (AFE) said the move was a ‘symbolic protest’ against the league’s ‘lack of transparency, dialogue and coherence’.
Relevant, a US-based events promoter founded by the owner of the Hard Rock Stadium and Miami Dolphins, have now said there is ‘insufficient time’ to organise the match, meaning the game will now return to its original date and location – much to the relief of supporters and players.
READ MORE: ‘Stop the madness’: Outrage in Spain after La Liga agrees to play league match in US
In a statement, La Liga said it ‘deeply regretted’ the postponement, describing it as a blow to the ‘international profile of the entire football ecosystem’.
It added that “Holding a match outside of our borders would have been an important step in global growth for the competition.”
In an increasingly competitive global environment, where leagues like the Premier League and competitions like UEFA Champions League continue their ability to generate revenues, initiatives such as this are essential to ensuring the sustainability and growth for Spanish soccer.
Barcelona said it ‘respects and accepts’ the decision, but ‘regrets the missed opportunity to expand the competition’s image’ in a market that has a ‘great capacity for growth and generation of resources for everyone’.
The U turn is reminiscent to the European Super League which, in 2021 was backed by a number of Europe’s top clubs but quickly dropped after protests were launched.
The La Liga is looking to capitalize on the growing American market to gain an upper hand on its competitors.
READ MORE: La Liga’s Vox-voting boss insists Spain is ‘NOT racist’, despite rising abuse inside football grounds
La Liga had announced that they wanted to host Barcelona and Atletico Madrid at Miami last year. The proposal, however, was scrapped due to time restrictions.
Barcelona attempted to play Catalan opponent Girona at Miami in 2019, but the plan was scrapped due to objections by the RFEF, and the players’ unions.
The latest proposal could only be made possible due to the dismissal by FIFA of a suit brought by Relevant.
The company that was assigned to promote the doomed Miami match has filed legal action following the cancellation of the proposal to hold a Barcelona game in 2019.
US Soccer refused sanctioning the match, claiming it would violate a FIFA statue that prohibited domestic league matches from being played abroad.
But Relevant sued, arguing that the statute violated the US’ Sherman Antitrust Act – a piece of legislation dating back all the way to 1890 which intended to combat monopolies.
The case was finally settled without prejudice.
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