Game off: Spanish league cancels plans for Barcelona to play regular-season match in Miami

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MADRID (AP) — The Spanish soccer league said Tuesday that plans for Barcelona to play a regular-season game against Villarreal outside Miami in December have been called off, a decision that comes following increased opposition to the match domestically.

The league said the decision was made after conversations with the promoter of the planned Dec. 20 match and cited the “uncertainty that has arisen in Spain over the past few weeks.”

Game promoter Relevent said it informed La Liga of the need to “postpone the planned match” because “there is insufficient time to properly execute an event of this scale.”

It added that "it would also be irresponsible to begin selling tickets without a confirmed match in place.”

The league had finally succeeded in getting approval from soccer bodies such as UEFA and the Spanish federation to stage its first regular-season game abroad. But opposition by players, some clubs and fans had grown recently in Spain.

The Spanish league “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.”

The league said “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.”

It said “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."

But the criticism against the game had grown recently, with players protesting during the weekend league games by standing still for a few seconds after kickoff.

Earlier Tuesday, Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois criticized Spanish league president Javier Tebas and complained about the league’s decision to censor the protests by the players. The television feed of games switched before kickoff to an exterior view of the stadiums and only showed part of the fields from distance.

Madrid has been one of the clubs most loudly protesting against the game, saying it would alter the fairness of the competition. Villarreal was officially the home team for the match that was set to be played at Hard Rock Stadium.

“Teams should play home and away,” Courtois said. “It’s not the same to play against a team at home and away. It’s hard to play on the road in the Spanish league. Playing on the road at Villarreal’s field is very tough. Every team has to play at home and away unless there is a major reason for that not to happen.”

Barcelona and Villarreal were on board with playing the game abroad. Villarreal fans would be able to travel to the match free of charge, and those who chose not to attend would receive a hefty discount on their season ticket.

Barcelona said it respected the decision but regretted “the missed opportunity to expand the competition’s image in a strategic market with the capacity for growth and resource generation for the benefit of all.”

“The club appreciates the support and unconditional affection it has received from our fans in the United States and deeply regrets that they are unable to attend the official match in the country,” Barcelona said in a statement.

La Liga said the game was important for the league “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,” the league said. “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.”

The league said it “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.”

La Liga has a long-term partnership with sports and entertainment group Relevent Sports, which is part of Stephen Ross’ portfolio of companies that includes Hard Rock Stadium, the Miami Dolphins, Formula One’s Miami Grand Prix and the Miami Open tennis tournament.

Plans for the La Liga game in Miami were renewed after FIFA withdrew from a legal action brought by Relevent in a Manhattan court. Weeks later, FIFA said it would review its rules and created a working group that includes UEFA lawyers.

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