La Liga has toiled for years to stage a match in Miami, and after the Spanish federation got UEFA approval earlier this month, it looks like the league might finally get its way this December for a match between Barcelona and Villarreal.
Barcelona, however, isn’t thrilled.
Manager Hansi Flick told reporters Friday that he isn’t looking forward to his team’s travel schedule this winter, with the likely Miami match on Dec. 20 and the Spanish Super Cup kicking off in Saudi Arabia on Jan. 7.
“My players are not happy,” Flick said, “I am not happy, but La Liga decided that we will play this game.”
La Liga has vied for a U.S. match for years, working with Dolphins owner Stephen Ross’s international soccer promoter Relevent Sports. The Spanish federation and FIFA opposed the efforts, prompting antitrust lawsuits that were later settled against the global soccer governing body and the U.S. Soccer Federation.
In August, the Spanish federation approved La Liga’s request to move the match to Miami. Earlier this month, UEFA “reluctantly” approved the Spanish federation’s request to move the game, as well as the Italian federation’s request to move a Serie A game to Australia in February, citing “regulatory gaps” in FIFA rules. UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin called the decision “regrettable” and said UEFA’s commitment is still “to protect the integrity of national leagues and ensure that football remains anchored in its home environment.”
The move is still waiting for final approval from FIFA, which has a long-standing ban against teams playing domestic league games abroad. That rule has been under pressure in court, including from the Revelent case, prompting FIFA to create a working group around the issue last year.
If moved, the Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium will host the match. Its 65,000-person capacity is roughly three times larger than Inter Miami’s Chase Stadium.
Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong spoke out against the match last week, saying he understands the financial incentive for clubs, but is ultimately against the move.
“It’s not good for the players. You have to travel a lot,” De Jong said. “It’s also not fair in terms of competition. For us, it’s now an away match on neutral ground. I totally understand if other clubs aren’t happy about that.”
The global soccer players union, FIFPro, released its annual report in September where the organization argued players don’t get enough rest time due to an increasingly burdensome international calendar.
Barcelona will get two weeks of rest between the Villarreal game and its next La Liga match on Jan. 4, before heading to Saudi Arabia for a Jan. 7 Super Cup match. (The Spanish Supercopa was first moved from Spain to Saudi Arabia in 2020 and has been played there every year since 2022 as part of a six-year deal that sparked a criminal investigation.) Both Villarreal and Barcelona are also competing in the UEFA Champions League this year.
La Liga has said the game will move from its current scheduled date of Dec. 21 to Dec. 20 if the match goes to Miami, a necessary switch because the Dolphins host the Bengals for Sunday Night Football. Another potential scheduling conflict is the College Football Playoff, which is set for the same weekend. The undefeated Miami Hurricanes play home games at Hard Rock Stadium, and the first round of the CFP will be held on campus. Currently No. 2 in the AP Top 25, if the Hurricanes fall to No. 5 through No. 8, they would host one of the Dec. 19 or Dec. 20 games.
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