LaLiga players launched protests against the league's decision to stage a regular-season game in Miami, but the first protest on Friday was not shown on live television as expected.
The television feed of the game at Real Oviedo against Espanyol cut to the exterior of the stadium for the first 25 seconds of the game, when players paused for the opening 15 seconds in opposition of plans to take a game to the United States.
The game came just hours after the Spanish soccer players' union announced that protests would be held straight after kickoff in games in the ninth round from Friday through Monday.
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The players' union said in a statement that the «players will protest in a symbolic fashion to denounce the lack of transparency, dialogue and coherence of LaLiga regarding the possibility of playing a game in the United States.»
LaLiga made official last week its plans to hold the Barcelona-Villarreal game in Miami on Dec. 20.
The union said the captains of the 20 topflight sides were in agreement with the protest. But the union added that it had not asked the Barcelona and Villarreal players to participate in the protest even though, the union said, «they share the basic premise of the protest.»
Barcelona host Girona and Villarreal host Real Betis on Saturday.
Earlier Friday, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick and his players were not pleased at having to travel 7,200 kilometers (4,500 miles) to play a regular-season game.
«My players are not happy, I am not happy, but LaLiga decided that we will play this game,» Flick said at a news conference in reply to a question
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