LaLiga’s plans for an exciting regular-season match between FC Barcelona and Villarreal at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium have been thwarted. The title was initially scheduled to release on December 20. Now it’s been canceled due to these logistical challenges cropping up deep enough into the planning process. This decision follows a long sequence of problems. Key stakeholders, particularly the teams directly involved and relevant governing bodies, have been overtly favorable or critical.
In 2018, LaLiga announced its ambitious initiative to hold regular-season matches in the United States, entering a 15-year partnership with Relevent to promote soccer across North America. LaLiga’s confirmation of the match coming to Miami was trumpeted as another big step towards spreading LaLiga’s reach. The cancellation has nonetheless raised eyebrows and further exposed simmering tensions within the league and between its clubs.
Complications Arise
LaLiga and Relevent’s decision to cancel the match stemmed from “insufficient time to properly execute an event of this scale.” Anyone who has hosted an international soccer match knows it takes a delicate dance of planning, timing and cooperation. This became particularly difficult given the compressed timeline.
Their plan had even been strongly opposed by the biggest rival club, Real Madrid. They called on FIFA, UEFA and the Spanish sports ministry (CSD) to act. Their objections manifested with passionate pleas to protect what they felt was the integrity of LaLiga’s competition. This issue has generated a lot of hot air from clubs.
Barcelona’s president, Joan Laporta, expressed his chagrin at the surprise cancellation of the match. He underscored that the club would still be paid for hosting the Miami match, despite it being canceled. Villarreal’s president, Fernando Roig Negueroles, was the toughest of all. He directly undermined Laporta by announcing that Villarreal would receive no compensation for the cancelled match.
“There is insufficient time to properly execute an event of this scale.” – Relevent
Mixed Reactions from Clubs
The response from the affected clubs has been anything but consistent. Barcelona’s management had initially championed the idea of a U.S. game as a way to “make up for having to play two games at the Estadi Johan Cruyff,” according to Laporta. This was viewed as a great opportunity to promote their global brand, while engaging with fans abroad.
Villarreal’s coach, Marcelino García Toral, expressed discontent over how the announcement was made during his team’s UEFA Champions League match. He called it “disrespectful” and a sign of poor leadership in the league when it comes to communication and strategizing.
Even Barcelona players have chimed in on the matter. Both midfielder Frenkie de Jong and coach Hansi Flick complained vigorously about having to play in Miami. These concerns were exacerbated by a fear of travel fatigue affecting the performance of their team.
Implications for Future Events
This cancellation goes on to affect LaLiga’s hopes of creating a new fan base in the United States, too. Both LaLiga and Relevent had expected that holding matches on this side of the Atlantic would help grow the sport’s popularity in North America. Despite this, there has been little widespread public support for these types of initiatives.
Even as Concacaf was still deciding if the match should be hosted in the U.S. or not, U.S. Soccer had already agreed to host it. In the absence of pour over specificity from the CSD, operators were still left guessing about what would be happening next.
Javier Tebas, the president of LaLiga, decried the cancellation as a “lost opportunity.” He expressed regret that pro wrestling fans in the United States had lost their opportunity to catch an official WWE event on home soil. He criticized those who invoked concerns over competition integrity:
“The ‘integrity of the competition’ argument is invoked by those who have been questioning that same integrity for years, pressuring referees and leaders, constructing distorted narratives, or using political and media pressure as a sporting tool.” – Javier Tebas
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