Real Madrid’s goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, voiced strong opposition on Tuesday regarding LaLiga’s plans to stage a regular-season match in Miami, asserting that it “significantly undermines the integrity of the competition.”
LaLiga has confirmed that it will proceed with hosting a match between Villarreal and Barcelona at Hard Rock Stadium on December 20, with tickets available for purchase this week, after receiving reluctant approval from UEFA.
This initiative would see Barcelona, one of Madrid’s main title competitors, play in a neutral venue instead of Villarreal’s Estadio La Cerámica.
Courtois articulated his concerns during a press briefing prior to Madrid’s Champions League clash against Juventus, stating, “Yes, it definitely undermines the integrity of the competition. It’s easy to draw comparisons with the NBA and the NFL playing overseas. In the NBA, with 82 games in a season, one playoff game hardly alters the competition. In the NFL, all team owners vote on decisions. In LaLiga, it seems as though decisions can be made arbitrarily, compromising competitive integrity and violating agreements with players. Every team should play both home and away, barring exceptional circumstances.”
LaLiga has long aspired to host a regular-season match in the U.S., having previously attempted to hold a game featuring Girona and Barcelona in Miami during the 2018-19 season. League president Javier Tebas has indicated that this initiative could enhance long-term revenue growth.
The league’s players demonstrated their discontent last weekend by stopping play for the initial 15 seconds of each game, as the players’ union, AFE, lamented a lack of “transparency and dialogue” in the decision-making process.
However, some instances of the protest went unseen on television, with broadcasts cutting to exterior shots of the stadium instead.
Courtois expressed his frustration, stating, “I don’t know why anyone is surprised; this has been going on for some time… Following the Club World Cup, I remarked that I had never seen a league president speak like [Tebas] does. Suppressing [the protests] is a form of censorship and manipulation, which is quite serious.”
Real Madrid has taken steps to oppose the Miami match, formally requesting that UEFA, the Spanish football federation, and Spain’s Sports Ministry reject the proposal.
Coach Xabi Alonso commented on Tuesday, “I’ve addressed this issue multiple times. The club is rightfully safeguarding its interests, and we will see how it unfolds.”