Players from Barcelona initiated a 15-second pause at the beginning of Saturday’s home match against Girona as a demonstration against LaLiga’s decision to move their upcoming match against Villarreal to Miami.
The match was originally scheduled to take place at Villarreal on December 20, but LaLiga has relocated it to the Hard Rock Stadium, with tickets set to go on sale next week.
The Spanish Footballers’ Association (AFE) announced on Friday that players would protest this weekend against the league’s “lack of transparency, dialogue, and coherence” surrounding the Miami match.
While the AFE did not specify the details of the protest, in the weekend’s first LaLiga game — Real Oviedo vs. Espanyol — the two teams also paused for the initial 15 seconds.
The AFE clarified that Barça and Villarreal players would not be obligated to participate in the protest, as it might create discomfort with their clubs, yet confirmed support for the action.
As the match commenced at the Olympic Stadium, Girona paused for 15 seconds, prompting Barça’s players to do the same until the away team resumed play.
A late goal from Ronald Araujo helped Barcelona secure a 2-1 victory over Girona, propelling Hansi Flick’s team to the top of the LaLiga standings ahead of Real Madrid’s game on Sunday.
LaLiga, aiming to host a game in the United States since 2017, is poised to finally realize that goal, having secured approval from the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), which previously arranged for the Spanish Supercopa to be held in Saudi Arabia, and from UEFA.
Although both Barça and Villarreal have consented to participate, several LaLiga clubs oppose the initiative.
Real Madrid has been particularly vocal, asserting that the move grants an “unfair sporting advantage” to the teams involved and “sets an undesirable precedent.”
Even Barça midfielder Frenkie de Jong expressed his concerns, aligning with Madrid’s stance that the arrangement favors Barça as they would play an away game in a neutral location.
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Barça coach Hansi Flick has expressed his dissatisfaction with the situation but emphasized his commitment to respecting the decisions made by the league and the involved clubs.
Following this weekend’s on-field protests, it’s uncertain what actions the AFE may pursue next.
In theory, the union does not need to endorse the match for it to proceed, but AFE president David Aganzo has stated that he has had discussions with political entities regarding future actions.