Planned Barca v Villarreal match in Miami cancelled, says LaLiga

MADRID :The proposed LaLiga match between Barcelona and Villarreal in Miami has been cancelled by its promoter following fierce criticism in Spain, LaLiga said on Tuesday.

The fixture, scheduled for the Hard Rock Stadium on December 20, was set to be the first LaLiga game held outside Spain and the first European league match staged abroad.

"LaLiga reports that, following discussions with the promoter of the LaLiga official match in Miami, the latter has announced its decision to cancel the event due to the uncertainty generated in Spain in recent weeks," LaLiga said in a statement.

"LaLiga deeply regrets that this project, which represented a historic and unparalleled opportunity for the internationalisation of Spanish football, cannot go ahead.

"The staging of an official match outside our borders would have been a decisive step in the global expansion of our competition."

Although European soccer's governing body UEFA had approved the plan, it was still pending ultimate approval from FIFA.

REAL MADRID COMPLAINTS

Real Madrid filed two complaints to Spain's Sports Ministry accusing LaLiga and the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) of making the decision without consulting clubs participating in the competition.

They argued that staging the match in Miami violated the principle of territorial reciprocity in home-and-away league formats.

"LaLiga does whatever it wants because it suits them," Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois told a press conference on Tuesday.

"This decision distorts the competition. Playing at home is not the same as playing away. Villarreal away is tough, and it's not fair to change the rules mid-season without consulting us."

SILENT PROTESTS

LaLiga players staged silent protests over the weekend by standing