La Liga president Javier Tebas commented on the cancellation of the football match between Villarreal and Barcelona, which was scheduled to take place in Miami on December 20. In his statement published on social network X, he expressed regret over the missed opportunity for Spanish football.
Tebas pointed out that such decisions, in his view, reflect a limited approach to the development of national championships. He believes that European football traditions are being put at risk by the actions of governing bodies, which, according to him, undermine domestic leagues year after year.
In his address, the La Liga president also noted that the arguments about the βintegrity of competitionβ are coming from those who have repeatedly questioned the fairness of tournaments themselvesβputting pressure on referees and politicians and using media resources to influence sporting processes.
Tebas expressed his gratitude to Villarreal and Barcelona for their willingness to participate in the project, which was aimed at developing the league as a whole, not just serving the interests of individual clubs.
According to the La Liga chief, the cancellation of the match in the US was a missed opportunity for Spanish football to make its mark on the global stage and strengthen its prospects. He also criticized European officials who, in his words, are not always able to distinguish truly important issues from minor ones.
Despite the setback, La Liga intends to continue working to strengthen the position of Spanish football, countering the influence of those who, according to Tebas, seek to weaken the national competitions. He emphasized that any changes must take into account historical foundations and ensure sustainable development.
This is the second time that an attempt to hold an official Spanish league match in the US has ended unsuccessfully. This time, the key role was played by the position of the Spanish Footballers’ Association (AFE), which opposed moving the game. Several years ago, a similar initiative involving the company Relevent and a match between βGironaβ and βBarcelonaβ was also not implemented due to opposition from the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
Five years ago, La Liga and RFEF were involved in a legal dispute after the federation refused to allow a βGironaβ β βBarcelonaβ match to be played in the US during the 2018-2019 season. The courts, including the Supreme Court, sided with the federation.
In March 2020, the Commercial Court of Madrid ruled against La Liga, and subsequent appeals were also rejected. RFEF maintained that official matches of national competitions should be held within the territory of the corresponding association.
Last year, FIFA amended its international match regulations to clearly define the process for approving games played outside the country, taking into account the potential impact on sporting balance and the interests of other participants in the championship.
