November 15 – LaLiga’s attempts to get interim permission to play a league fixture in Miami this December have been knocked back by Madrid’s Mercantile Court No. 12.
La Liga had originally planned a Girona vs Barcelona league game but opposition from stakeholders prevented that progressing. LaLiga and its US partners Relevent subsequently resurrected the Miami hosting proposal with Villarreal’s home game against Atletico Madrid on December 6.
However, with the Madrid court not granting interim measures to allow that game to go ahead, LaLiga will have to wait until February 2020 and the outcome of a case in the same court challenging the authority of the the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to dictate their calendar and fixtures.
The December 6 fixture will now remain in Spain.
In a statement LaLiga said it “respects this decision, which does not prejudge the substance of the matter, which will be permanently settled in February 2020.
“Staging an official LaLiga match abroad is part of a long-term LaLiga strategy for international growth. We hope that from February forth LaLiga will be able to organise an official match beyond Spanish borders,” the statement continues.
“Bringing clubs closer to their global fans represents a significant opportunity to connect with them and to continue working to increase LaLiga’s followers around the world. This international growth leads to benefits for the clubs, their players, their fans, LaLiga as a whole, Spanish football and the brand of Spain.”
The RFEF are themselves travelling to Saudi Arabia to play their now controversial Super Cup in January. That first edition will be part of a €120 milllion three-year deal for the competition but has been criticised in Spain because of human rights issues in Saudi.
Tebas was similarly critical of the RFEF over the human rights concerns and also of the multiple issues surrounding the broadcast piracy by the Saudi-based BeoutQ network in the region.
“[The RFEF] are going to take money from Saudi Arabia for playing this match, which has been robbed from others through piracy, and through BeoutQ,” Tebas said. “That’s a contradiction.”
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