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Barca snub fails to dent La Liga’s overseas hopes
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La Liga has vowed to persevere with a long-term strategy of taking games outside of Spain after immediate plans to play Barcelona’s January match against Girona in Miami were derailed by the champion’s decision to back out of the fixture.
After a board meeting on Monday, Barcelona withdrew from the game “after seeing the lack of consensus surrounding the proposal”, ending a protracted saga since La Liga applied to move the game from Catalonia to Florida in September.
The league’s organizing body accepted that the game, set to take place on January 26, could not be played abroad but pledged to continue its legal battle with the Spanish football federation, RFEF, the most vocal opponent of the plan.
“We regret to disappoint our fans in the US and will work to, in the shortest possible time, stage an official La Liga game in the US, just like the major American leagues stage games outside their borders,” a La Liga statement said. “La Liga will continue the planned action, so an official league game can be played outside of Spain. La Liga is convinced that the RFEF is not acting in accordance with the law.”
The league also said Barcelona’s withdrawal did not affect its 15-year agreement with entertainment firm Relevent to promote Spanish football in North America.
Last month, La Liga filed a lawsuit in court against the federation, which turned down its application to have the game moved and whose president Luis Rubiales has loudly protested the league’s plans.
La Liga president Javier Tebas told reporters yesterday he understood Barcelona’s decision, while adding the league would not relent on its future plans. “I don’t see Barca’s decision as a betrayal. Of course I’d have liked to have played on January 26 but I have to congratulate the clubs for allowing us to get to this point as it will help us in the future.”
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