The Spanish League insists on holding a match in Miami

 

The Spanish League insists on holding a match in Miami
The FIFA President Gianni Infantino during a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland on 4 October 2019.

 

The Spanish League has redoubled its efforts to organize a league match in Miami, officially requesting a stadium change for the December match between Villarreal and Atlético de Madrid.

The request addressed to the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), comes after the failed attempt by the League that the match between Girona and Barcelona next January be played in the U.S. city.

Then FIFA, the governing body of world football, raised objections, and its president Gianni Infantino said he would never allow a league match to be played outside Spanish territory.

The president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, Luis Rubiales, also strongly opposed the proposal, as did the Spanish footballers’ union.

The League now claims that the union has been informed of this latest effort to have a match played in Miami after it expressed concern about the January match.

In the end, Barça withdrew its support for the idea last season, citing the lack of consensus of all necessary parties.

In a statement released Thursday, the League said it had filed a formal request with the RFEF to move the December 6 match between Villareal and Atlético to Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.

In August of last year, the League signed a 15-year agreement with entertainment company Relevent Sports, designed to promote the sport and the League in North America.

The agreement included a commitment to host one of the League’s regular-season games across the Atlantic.

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