LaLiga Players Protest Miami Match: Criticism and Reactions

LaLiga Players Protest Match in Miami, but TV Broadcast Omits the Start

LaLiga footballers initiated protests against the league’s decision to hold a regular season match in Miami. However, the first protest, carried out on Friday, was not broadcast live as expected. The international television signal of the match between Real Oviedo and Espanyol cut off the broadcast outside the stadium during the first 25 seconds of the match. In that time, the players stopped for 15 seconds in protest against the plans to take a match to the United States. This match took place 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.
• Barça in Miami: Why FIFA and UEFA allow leagues to play abroad
• LaLiga confirms the historic Barça match in the United States

The players’ union stated in a statement that the “players will protest symbolically to denounce the lack of transparency, dialogue and coherence of LaLiga regarding the possibility of playing a match in the United States.” LaLiga officially announced last week its plans to hold the match between Barcelona and Villarreal in Miami on December 20th. The union reported that the captains of the 20 first division teams agreed with the protest. However, the union added that it had not requested the participation of the Barcelona and Villarreal players in the protest, although, according to the union, “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. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick and his players were unhappy about having to travel 7,200 kilometers to play a regular season game.

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 expand in the American sports market. However, for Flick and his players, this implies 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 are already overloaded with travel and a very tight schedule. Like Barcelona, Villarreal was also participating in the Champions League. The president of LaLiga, Javier Tebas, has defended the match abroad as key to boosting “medium and long-term revenue” and increasing the value of the television rights of his competition. Tebas announced 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.