""It's a reward for those fans who are behind the screen, also in Asia or America, who are paying a fee to watch all the Spanish La Liga matches. It's a gesture to them," Louzan said. "It's good for football and it promotes the Spanish La Liga around the world. Italy is also going to do it with Serie A in Australia. It's a good move for the best league in the world to do it.""
"Real Madrid expressed opposition, stating the consequences would be "so serious" and lead to a "before and after" for the world of football. European football's governing body Uefa was in "clear opposition" to the plans but "reluctantly" gave approval because there was no legal framework to stop it. Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin said it was a "regrettable" decision to allow two European league matches to be played overseas and insisted it "shall not be seen as setting a precedent"."
"Barcelona's greatest ever player, Lionel Messi, has made Miami his home since joining Inter Miami in 2023 following a two-season spell at Paris St-Germain. Joan Laporta, Barcelona's president, said when the fixture was announced: "A competitive game in a city like Miami, with a large FC Barcelona following, will definitely be a great show." The club have played four pre-season friendlies in Miami previously, most recently in 2022."
The Spanish football federation (RFEF) approved moving Villarreal's home match against Barcelona to Miami's Hard Rock Stadium on 20 December. Real Madrid opposed the decision, warning that consequences would be 'so serious' and marking a 'before and after' for football. UEFA expressed clear opposition but reluctantly approved the move because no legal mechanism existed to block it, with president Aleksander Ceferin calling the decision 'regrettable' and cautioning against setting a precedent. RFEF president Rafael Louzan described the match as a reward for international viewers and a way to promote La Liga globally. Barcelona has strong support in Miami and has previously played friendlies there.
Read at www.bbc.com
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