LaLiga: Player protests over Miami match, no live broadcast

Protests in LaLiga: Players Oppose Match in Miami

LaLiga players initiated protests against the league’s decision to play a regular season match in Miami. However, the first protest, which took place on Friday, was not broadcast live as expected. The televised broadcast of the match between Real Oviedo and Espanyol was cut off outside the stadium during the first 25 seconds of the game. At that moment, the players stopped for the first 15 seconds in protest against the plans to take a match to the United States. This meeting took place a few hours after the Spanish footballers’ union announced that protests would be held at the start of the matches of the ninth matchday, from Friday to Monday.

• The Spanish players’ union opposes the Barça match in the US.
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• LaLiga confirms the historic Barça match in the US.

In a statement, the players’ union stated that “the players will protest symbolically to denounce the lack of transparency, dialogue and coherence of LaLiga with respect to the possibility of playing a match in the United States”. LaLiga made official last week its plans to hold the Barcelona-Villarreal match in Miami on December 20. The union added that the captains of the 20 first division teams agreed with the protest, although they had not asked the players of Barcelona and Villarreal to participate, despite the fact that they “share the basic premise of the protest”.

Real Oviedo and Espanyol players stop to protest the decision to hold the LaLiga match between Villarreal and Barcelona in Miami in December.Barcelona hosts Girona and Villarreal hosts Real Betis on Saturday. On Friday, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick and his players expressed their dissatisfaction at having to travel 7,200 kilometers to play a regular season match.

My players are not happy, I am not happy, but LaLiga decided that we will play this match.

Hansi Flick

The president of Barcelona, Joan Laporta, defended the measure arguing that it represents an opportunity to further boost the American sports market. For Flick and his players, this means an additional trip before a short winter break. Barcelona will also travel to Saudi Arabia for the Spanish Super Cup, which will begin on January 7. Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong also criticized the celebration of the match in the United States, stating that the players were already overloaded with travel and a very tight schedule. Just like Barcelona, Villarreal was also playing in the Champions League. The president of LaLiga, Javier Tebas, has defended the match abroad as key to increasing “medium and long-term income” and increasing the value of the television rights of his competition. Tebas said that the league plans to turn an international match into an annual event. The match will be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins. The league has chartered planes to transport to Florida what it estimates will be between 2,000 and 3,000 Villarreal fans, who are the home team.