Javier Tebas, the president of La Liga, has blasted the “provincial mindset” that caused the highly anticipated Barcelona vs. Villarreal game in Miami to be canceled.
It was intended to be the first-ever European Premier League match to be played in the United States on December 20 at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.
After weeks of player protests and mounting club opposition, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) reportedly abandoned the plan on Tuesday.
Tebas said on X, “Spanish football has lost a chance to progress, project itself internationally, and fortify its future today.”
“The defense of ‘tradition’ is invoked from a narrow-minded and provincial perspective, while decisions made by the governing institutions, which consistently destroy national leagues, threaten the true traditions of European football.”
At a time when other European leagues are boldly increasing their global influence, he accused the federation and some clubs of holding the sport back.
La Liga “will continue working, with rigour and conviction, to keep Spanish football competitive,” Tebas stated, adding that Spanish football “deserved to look to the future with ambition, not fear.”
Tebas had been promoting the Miami initiative for months as a crucial component of his long-term plan to make Spanish football more international. The game was viewed as a means of expanding one’s audience and forming new business alliances, especially in the rich North American market.
Rather, the league now has to deal with issues of leadership, communication, and coordination. Officials from Villarreal said they were just informed “ten minutes before kick-off” that their Champions League match against Manchester City had been canceled.
Players have also voiced their displeasure. They boycotted playing for the first 15 seconds of league games over the weekend as a kind of quiet protest. Their biggest worries were openness and practicalities; for weeks, they were left with unanswered issues concerning insurance, rest intervals, and travel itineraries.
Real Madrid captain Dani Carvajal called the proposal a “stain” on the competition, while Barcelona coach Hansi Flick acknowledged his team was “not happy” with the choice to play overseas.
