How are Barça and Villarreal players responding to the Miami match?

While Barça and Villarreal have agreed to participate in the Miami game, players from other teams in the league, including Real Oviedo and Espanyol, have staged protests by pausing their games for 15 seconds in solidarity.

What are the concerns raised by Real Madrid about the Miami match?

Real Madrid has been a vocal critic of the plan, stating that it will "give an undue sporting advantage" to the teams involved and "sets an unacceptable precedent."

Home / Sports / Barça-Villarreal Match Relocated to Miami, Sparking Player Protests

Barça-Villarreal Match Relocated to Miami, Sparking Player Protests

Q: What is the controversy surrounding the Barça-Villarreal match?

The Spanish football league LaLiga has decided to relocate the scheduled match between Barça and Villarreal from their home stadiums to the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, United States, sparking protests from players across the league.

18 Oct

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Summary

LaLiga relocates Barça-Villarreal match to Miami on Dec. 20
Players protest league's "lack of transparency, dialogue and coherence"
Barça and Villarreal players pause games in solidarity with protest

Barça-Villarreal Match Relocated to Miami, Sparking Player Protests

In a controversial move, the Spanish football league LaLiga has decided to relocate the scheduled match between Barça and Villarreal from their home stadiums to the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, United States. This decision, set to take place on December 20th, has sparked widespread protests from players across the league.

The Spanish Footballers' Association (AFE) announced on Friday that a protest would be carried out by players this weekend, aimed at the league's "lack of transparency, dialogue and coherence" in staging the Miami game. While the exact nature of the protest was not specified, players from various teams, including Real Oviedo and Espanyol, paused their games for the first 15 seconds as a show of solidarity.

The AFE stated that Barça and Villarreal players would not be forced to join the protest, acknowledging the delicate position they may be in with their respective clubs. However, when Girona kicked off and then paused for 15 seconds, Barça's players also took part in the demonstration, remaining still until the away team resumed play.

LaLiga has been trying to take a game to the United States since 2017, and now appears to have received the necessary approvals from the Spanish Football Federation and UEFA. While Barça and Villarreal have agreed to participate, other teams in the league, most notably Real Madrid, have been vocal in their opposition, citing concerns over the "undue sporting advantage" it would give to the teams involved and the "unacceptable precedent" it sets.

Even Barça midfielder Frenkie de Jong has expressed his disapproval of the plans, echoing Madrid's concerns about the neutral venue favoring Barça. Barça coach Hansi Flick has also stated that he is "not happy" about the decision, though he will respect the league's and clubs' final verdict.

As the player protests continue, it remains unclear what further actions the AFE may take in response to the league's decision to host the Barça-Villarreal match in Miami.

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