Real Madrid 'strongly' reject La Liga match in USA

BBC News

19 hours ago

Real Madrid have strongly rejected plans to play Villarreal's La Liga match with Barcelona in the United States, saying it "sets an unacceptable precedent". The fixture is scheduled for 21 December at Villarreal's Estadio de la Ceramica, but the Spanish football federation (RFEF) approved the proposal on Monday to host the game in America. The RFEF will now seek permission from Fifa and Uefa to switch it to the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, which is set to host seven matches at the 2026 World Cup.But Real Madrid have expressed their "strongest rejection of the proposal" to play the match outside Spain. In a statement, the club, external said: "If this proposal is carried out, its consequences would be so serious that they would mean a before and after for the world of football."
The Spanish football supporters' association (FASFE) has also joined Barcelona and Villarreal fan groups to make clear their firm opposition to the proposal, warning they would "take appropriate legal action" if it went ahead. However, Villarreal president Fernando Roig told the club's website the US opportunity is something they "must seize". "We have to expand the brand of our football and of Villarreal CF," he added."Many clubs agree on the need to internationalise and to look for ways to generate more revenue so we can get closer to other leagues, such as the Premier League."Fifa's rules currently do not allow domestic league matches to be played abroad, but last year it set up a working group to explore the matter.
Last year, La Liga said it wanted to hold Barcelona's meeting with Atletico Madrid in Miami, before dropping the idea because of time constraints.Real, who have won a record 36 La Liga titles, said Villarreal playing their home fixture away from their own stadium would be "altering the competitive balance and granting an undue sporting advantage to the applicant clubs". Barca are scheduled to face Villarreal at the Nou Camp on 1 March, 2026. "The integrity of the competition requires that all matches be held under the same conditions for all teams," added Real in their statement. "Unilaterally modifying this regime breaks the equality between contenders, compromises the legitimacy of the results and sets an unacceptable precedent that opens the door to exceptions based on interests other than strictly sporting, with a clear impact on sporting integrity and the risk of adulteration of the competition." The club said it had asked Fifa not to authorise the staging of the game without the prior consent of all La Liga clubs, and asked Uefa to urge the RFEF to withdraw the request.Other one-off matches, such as the Italian Super Cup and Spanish Super Cup, have been held abroad in recent years.With the San Siro hosting the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in February, AC Milan are hoping to play their Serie A match against Como in Perth, Australia, as the two events clash. The plans, however, have yet to receive approval from Fifa, Uefa, Football Australia and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).