Real Madrid rejects U.S.-hosted match, claiming it would hurt integrity of competition
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Villarreal, in contrast, is promising free travel and tickets for season-ticket holders if its match against Barcelona in Miami is approved in what would be a first for the league. The 17th-round match in La Liga would be played at the Hard Rock Stadium.
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Madrid said Tuesday it has taken action to keep the Dec. 20 match from happening in the U.S., claiming it would hurt the 'integrity of the competition' and the 'legitimacy of the results.'
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'The measure, which was taken without prior information or consultation of the clubs participating in the competition, infringes the essential principle of territorial reciprocity, which applies in two-legged league competitions (one match at home and the other at the home of the opposing team), upsetting the competitive balance and giving an undue sporting advantage to the applicant clubs,' Madrid said.
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The club said the match would set 'an unacceptable precedent that opens the door to exceptions based on non-sporting interests, clearly affecting sporting integrity and risking the adulteration of the competition.'
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'If this proposal were to be carried out, its consequences would be so serious that it would be a turning point in the world of football,' Madrid said.
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The Europe-wide fan group Football Supporters Europe, or FSE, said it was 'liaising' with members, soccer stakeholders, affected groups, and partner organizations to 'collectively resist the latest threat to the very nature of football.'
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'We are following the broader impact on football with the utmost concern,' the group said. 'Moving games from their domestic territories strikes at the heart of the relationship between fans and their teams, breaking vital links between clubs and their communities.'
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The group also criticized a similar move by the Italian league to play a match abroad.
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The Italian soccer federation said in July that a plan was in motion to play the Serie A match between AC Milan and Como in the Australian city of Perth in February.
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Madrid said it has asked FIFA, UEFA and Spain's top sports body to not authorize the game in the U.S. The Spanish soccer federation on Monday approved a request for the match to be played in Miami. UEFA and FIFA now have to approve the request before it can be made official.
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