After UEFA paved the way for league games abroad, FC Barcelona has now announced where the match against FC Villarreal will be played. It’s across the pond and to old acquaintances.
Shortly before Christmas, Hansi Flick and his FC Barcelona team will play their league match against FC Villarreal in the US, more specifically in Miami, Florida. This was announced by Spain’s La Liga on Wednesday. The match on December 20 (local time) will be the first official league match in the history of a European league to be played abroad.
The game will be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, the current home of numerous former Barca players: In addition to Catalan club legend and eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, three other former Barca pros play for Inter Miami: Jordi Alba, who will end his career at the end of the season, Sergio Busquets, and Luis Suarez.
“With this game, we are taking a historic step that will catapult La Liga and Spanish soccer into a new dimension,” says league president Javier Tebas, addressing the numerous critics: “We understand and respect the concerns that this decision raises, but it is important to see it in context—it is only one game out of a total of 380 this season.”
It’s not just Tebas who is looking forward to the game, but also the FC Barcelona boardroom. “We are grateful to La Liga for the opportunity to get even closer to one of the club’s most important strategic markets,” Barcelona club president Joan Laporta is quoted as saying.
La Liga shows generosity
As the Spanish league emphasized, Villareal season ticket holders who will ultimately not be able to watch the game at their home stadium, Estadio de la Ceramica, will be compensated—they will be allowed to travel to Miami, 7,500 km away, to watch the game free of charge. Fans who do not want to make the long journey will receive a 30 percent discount on the price of their season ticket.
This generous gesture is also intended to appease angry fans. Previously, 18 fan groups had expressed their “complete rejection” of games abroad in light of the plans. Real Madrid is also opposed to the move, having already pointed out in August that such a game would alter the “competitive balance” of the league and set an “unacceptable precedent.”
Despite all the opposition, UEFA ‘reluctantly’ and “exceptionally” allowed two league games to be played abroad on Monday. In addition to the Barcelona game, the Serie A match between AC Milan and Como 1907 will also take place outside Europe. Due to the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics at San Siro two days earlier, the match will be played in Perth, Australia, on February 8. Milan pro Adrien Rabiot has already expressed strong criticism of the decision.
