La Liga's proposed U.S. match between Barcelona and Villarreal, scheduled to be played in December in Miami, has been canceled, both the league and organizer Relevent confirmed on Tuesday. Both cited insufficient planning time and uncertainty in Spain as the reasons. The controversial match had drawn the ire of many fans and led to player protests.
Getty Images Sport'It would also be irresponsible'
Relevent initially issued a statement Tuesday announcing that the match would be postponed. Moments later, La Liga issued its own statement saying the match would be canceled entirely.
“Relevent has informed LALIGA of the need to postpone the planned match between Villarreal CF and FC Barcelona in Miami on Dec 20," Relevent said in the original statement. "Given the current uncertainty in Spain, there is insufficient time to properly execute an event of this scale. It would also be irresponsible to begin selling tickets without a confirmed match in place.”
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The league then followed up with full statement, announcing the cancellation and saying it "deeply regrets" that the match won't be held in the U.S.
"LALIGA announces that, following conversations with the promoter of the Official LALIGA Match in Miami, the decision has been made to cancel the organization of the event due to the uncertainty that has arisen in Spain over the past few weeks," the league said in a statement. "LALIGA deeply regrets that this project, which represented a historic and unparalleled opportunity for the international expansion of Spanish soccer, will not be able to move forward.
"Holding an official match outside our borders would have been a decisive step in the global growth of the competition, strengthening the international presence of clubs, the positioning of players, and the visibility of Spanish soccer in a strategic market such as the United States.
"The project fully complied with all federative regulations and did not affect the integrity of the competition, as confirmed by the competent institutions responsible for ensuring compliance, which opposed it for other reasons.
"In an increasingly competitive global landscape, where leagues such as the Premier League or competitions like the UEFA Champions League continue to expand their reach and ability to generate revenue, initiatives like this are essential to ensure the sustainability and growth of Spanish soccer. Renouncing such opportunities hinders the generation of new income, limits clubs’ capacity to invest and compete, and reduces the international projection of the entire Spanish soccer ecosystem.
"Finally, we wish to thank the clubs for their willingness and collaboration in this project, as well as for their continued commitment to the growth of the competition.
"From LALIGA, we will continue, as always, to work to bring Spanish soccer to every corner of the world, promoting an open, modern and competitive vision that benefits clubs, players, and fans alike."
AFPA potentially historic match
Despite the tensions, La Liga was on the verge of history, as it would have been the first official league match on American soil. Although the match is now canceled, the league's statement suggests it may try to to schedule another match outside of Europe, at some point, saying La Liga will "work to bring Spanish soccer to every corner of the world."
La Liga may have the two biggest clubs in the world in Barcelona and Real Madrid, but overall, its revenue is dwarfed by the Premier League. The response has been a steady growth worldwide: media partnerships, high-profile events, and, yes, a competitive fixture.
“This goes beyond just the game. It’s having a solid strategy in the market… The core is to make sure that people understand that the US market is a strategic market, and this is not a one-off activation. It is part of a global strategy,” Nicolas Garcia Hemme, Managing Director of La Liga in the United States, told GOAL last week. "It is very important for us to make sure that people understand that we as La Liga are willing to be bold, are willing to be innovative, are willing to try things in a different way, and we're gonna try, and we're gonna see."
The overall feeling is U.S. about the potential for the game was one of reluctant acknowledgment. And the efforts to stop the match were ongoing. Beyond the player protests and European fan outrage, Real Madrid escalated their opposition to La Liga’s Miami plan by filing a second complaint to the Higher Sports Council (CSD). Still, the broader concept of playing competitive matches in the U.S. will not go away.
“The reality is we are a capitalistic society, and we are going to look for more ways to be able to make money and bring money to America, for more Americans have opportunities to make money,” Mallorca investor and former USMNT star Stu Holden told GOAL. “So I think it's impossible to keep those games out.”
Added ESPN FC analyst Herculez Gomez, “This is opening Pandora's box… there are massive fans in this country who will pay top dollar, and if you allow it, I'm not opposed to it. But if you allow La Liga, you're allowing everybody.”
Villarreal reaction
Villarreal coach Marcelino García Toral criticized the timing of LaLiga's announcement, which came during the club’s 2-0 Champions League loss to Manchester City.
"For me, it shows an absolute lack of respect to put out a statement at half-time of our game about something that was planned but will not happen," Marcelino told reporters. "It's a lack of respect to the directors of this club, the club itself, the professionals and the fans. Tomorrow the club will make a statement about what they think, but those are my thoughts right now."
With the cancellation of the match in Miami, Villarreal will now host Barcelona on Dec. 21.