UEFA Delays Decisions on La Liga and Serie A Matches Outside of Europe
The UEFA Executive Committee has postponed the decision on the request from the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to authorize a La Liga match between Villarreal and Barcelona at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Following the Executive Committee meetings in Tirana, Albania, UEFA announced that it will hold consultations with all parties involved, including fans, before making a final decision. More than 400 fan groups from European clubs have protested against the proposal to hold matches abroad, and the fan liaison group Football Supporters Europe (FSE) formally urged UEFA and FIFA to block the request. UEFA also confirmed that its Executive Committee agreed to postpone the decision on Serie A’s request for the match between Inter Milan and Como to be played in Perth, Australia, in February. This year, the RFEF approved plans for Barcelona to play against Villarreal in Miami on December 20, but the final decision now rests with the governing bodies of football.
UEFA highlighted the need to resolve many issues and, as the European governing body, has a responsibility to take all those factors into account. Therefore, no decision was made at the meeting, but UEFA will conduct a round of consultations with all stakeholders in European football, including fans. The FSE praised UEFA’s commitment to meaningful consultation, highlighting its dedication to preserving the integrity of European football. Critics of the plans, including the European Commission’s top sports official in Brussels, Glenn Micallef, argue that the sporting integrity of the leagues would also be unbalanced and harmed. La Liga and Serie A see an opportunity to build the fanbase and brand of clubs and leagues, following the example of professional sports leagues in the United States. La Liga and its commercial partner Relevent, an American marketing agency co-founded by the owner of the Miami Dolphins, Stephen Ross, first tried in 2018 to bring a Barcelona match to the city, but were blocked by a FIFA veto. Relevent is now a major commercial partner for UEFA, which was granted this year the rights to sell six seasons of broadcasting and sponsorship deals starting in 2027 for the Champions League and other European club competitions. The FIFA has created a working group to review its rules on national matches abroad, and its 37-member governing council, with eight from UEFA, will meet next month. UEFA leaders have previously said they do not support taking matches abroad, but they seemed to lack the legal power to block them.The committee acknowledged that this is an important and growing issue, but expressed the desire to ensure they have the opinions of all stakeholders before reaching a final decision.
UEFA Statement
The Spanish Minister of Sports, Pilar Alegría, opposes playing a league match abroad. Alegría also mentioned that the Spanish government is taking steps to ensure that the 2030 World Cup final is held in Spain. The minister stated that the government is maintaining fluid conversations with Portugal and Morocco, and that its first task is to ensure that the final is played in Spain. She considers that both the Santiago Bernabéu and Camp Nou would be magnificent options.European football belongs to our stadiums, our cities, our communities. A national match abroad is one more.
FSE Group
