La Liga’s controversial plan to stage the Villarreal vs Barcelona fixture in Miami on 20 December has been scrapped following mounting opposition and player protests across Spain.
The cancellation, announced late Tuesday, was immediately met with a fierce response from Villarreal, who were the designated home team.
The club slammed La Liga for “a complete and utter lack of respect” after learning of the decision only “minutes before kick-off” of their Champions League match against Manchester City, and then watching the league issue a unilateral public statement.
Villarreal stated they were already on the verge of withdrawing due to La Liga’s “poor management” and lack of progress on logistics and compensation for season ticket holders.
La Liga President Javier Tebas lamented the decision, calling the cancellation a “lost opportunity” for Spanish football’s global growth and branding domestic critics as “narrow-minded and provincial.”
The abandoned plan follows a league-wide player protest last weekend and institutional opposition from clubs like Real Madrid, who argued that playing a league match outside Spain would compromise competitive integrity.
The match will now be played at Villarreal’s home ground.
