Villarreal v Barcelona La Liga match to be moved to Miami following the Spanish Federation’s approval of plan.
Spain federation approves plan to move Villarreal v Barcelona La Liga match to Miami.
After the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) authorised a La Liga plan to conduct one of the clubs’ games this season in Miami, Florida, Barcelona and Villarreal may be able to compete in the first European league match held in the United States.
On Monday, La Liga presented the proposal to the RFEF. Following the RFEF’s ratification, the issue now needs the consent of the host federation and confederation (US Soccer and Concacaf, respectively), as well as FIFA and Uefa.
The game in question was scheduled for December 21 at the Estadio de la Cerámica, Villarreal’s home field. With the projected relocation, the game will now take place at Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins of the NFL.
The idea was made possible by the dismissal of a case against Fifa and the US Soccer Federation that was filed by a US-based event promoter, Relevent Sports. Notably, real estate developer Stephen Ross, who also owns Hard Rock Stadium and the Dolphins, developed and owns Relevent.
After trying to host a La Liga match in Miami the year before, Relevent first filed a lawsuit against US Soccer and FIFA in 2019. US Soccer rejected the request because of a FIFA regulation that forbids domestic league matches from being played outside of their home area. Relevent filed a lawsuit, claiming the policy was in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, a law intended to prevent monopolies.
In the end, Fifa and Relevent reached a settlement that included Fifa reviewing the statute. Relevent was given the opportunity to reopen action after the parties reached a settlement without prejudice.
Relevent gained notoriety by holding several preseason competitions in the US with renowned European teams. In order to sell the rights to the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League, the organisation today inked a six-year agreement with Uefa to serve as its global marketing and sales partner for men’s club competitions.