La Liga affirmed the project “fully complied with all federative regulations” and “did not affect the integrity of the competition.” Competent bodies confirmed its compliance but still opposed it “for other reasons,” the league said.
Criticism against the game intensified recently, with players protesting during weekend league games by standing still for a few seconds after kickoff.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois criticised La Liga president Javier Tebas, expressing his disapproval of the league’s decision to censor player protests. Television feeds switched before kickoff to an exterior view of the stadiums, showing only part of the fields from a distance.
Real Madrid was one of the clubs most vocal in its opposition, arguing that the fixture would compromise the competition’s fairness. Villarreal was officially the designated home team for the Miami match.
“Teams should play home and away. It’s not the same to play against a team at home and away. It’s hard to play on the road in the Spanish league,” Courtois said. “Playing on the road at Villarreal’s field is very tough. Every team has to play at home and away unless there is a major reason for that not to happen.”
Barcelona and Villarreal had agreed to play their league match abroad. Villarreal fans were offered free travel to the match, and those not attending would receive a substantial season ticket discount.
Barcelona, meanwhile, said that they respected the decision but regretted “the missed opportunity to expand the competition’s image in a strategic market with the capacity for growth and resource generation for the benefit of all.”
The Catalan club added that they appreciated the support from their US fans and “deeply regrets that they are unable to attend the official match in the country.”
