LaLiga Cancels Barcelona vs Villarreal Match In Miami After Backlash In Spain

• LaLiga confirmed the December fixture between Barcelona and Villarreal in Miami has been cancelled.
• Relevent, LaLiga’s North American partner, cited “uncertainty in Spain” as the reason for withdrawing the plan.
• Barcelona said they “deeply regret” the decision, while Villarreal’s coach Marcelino called the timing “a lack of respect.”

LaLiga has cancelled plans to stage a regular-season game between Villarreal and Barcelona in Miami this December, following growing opposition in Spain.

A statement released by LaLiga said: “Following discussions with the promoter of the match in Miami, the latter has announced its decision to cancel the organisation of the event due to the uncertainty generated in Spain in recent weeks.

“LaLiga deeply regrets that this project, which represented a historic and unparalleled opportunity for the internationalisation of Spanish football, cannot go ahead.

“The staging of an official match outside our borders would have been a decisive step in the global expansion of our competition, strengthening the international presence of clubs, the positioning of players and the Spanish football brand in a strategic market such as the United States.

“The project fully complied with federation regulations and did not affect the integrity of the competition, as confirmed by the competent institutions that oversee compliance, which opposed it for other reasons.”

Relevent, LaLiga’s commercial partner in North America, confirmed the decision, saying: “We have informed LaLiga of the need to postpone the planned match between Villarreal and Barcelona in Miami on Dec. 20.

“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.”

Tickets for the match, which had been due to take place at Hard Rock Stadium, were scheduled to go on sale this week. LaLiga initially said a delay in ticket sales was due to a “technical issue.”

The plan had sparked strong backlash from players, fan groups and Real Madrid, which had urged FIFA, UEFA and Spain’s Sports Ministry (CSD) to block the proposal. LaLiga players also staged a brief on-field protest last weekend, pausing for 15 seconds at kickoff to show their discontent.

Barcelona expressed disappointment at the cancellation, saying: “Barcelona respect and abide by the decision to cancel the match against Villarreal in Miami in LaLiga, in the same way that it respected and abided by the decision to play there taken at the time.

“Barcelona regret the missed opportunity to expand the image of the competition to a strategic market with the capacity for growth and generation of resources for the benefit of everyone.

“The club is grateful for the support and unconditional affection it has received from our fans in the United States and deeply regrets that they are deprived of witnessing an official match in the country.”

Villarreal coach Marcelino García Toral criticised the timing of LaLiga’s announcement, which came during his team’s Champions League defeat 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 said. “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.”

Real Madrid had previously labelled the proposal “an unacceptable precedent” and asked Spain’s Sports Council to reject it “without unanimous consent.”

Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong had also spoken against the Miami match earlier this month, saying the plan was “not good for the players,” citing travel fatigue and fairness concerns. His coach, Hansi Flick, added that he and his squad were “not happy.”

Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said the move would “totally affect the integrity of the competition.”

UEFA said it had “reluctantly” approved the proposal, stating its “clear opposition to domestic league matches being played outside their home country” but noting that FIFA’s current rules were “not clear and detailed enough.”

LaLiga president Javier Tebas had previously described the match as a “historic step” that would bring Spanish football “closer to that global fanbase.”

The cancellation means the Villarreal vs Barcelona game will now be rescheduled to take place in Spain, marking the second time LaLiga has failed to take a league fixture abroad after a similar attempt with Girona and Barcelona in 2018-19.