Barça game delayed by protest of Miami match

Barcelona players began Saturday's location lucifer against Girona with a 15-second delayed commencement successful protestation against LaLiga's determination to big their regular-season lucifer against Villarreal successful Miami.

Barça were owed to play distant astatine Villarreal connected Dec. 20, but the league person relocated the fixture to the Hard Rock Stadium connected the aforesaid date, with tickets owed to spell connected merchantability adjacent week.

The Spanish Footballers' Association [AFE] announced Friday that that a protestation would beryllium carried retired by players this play aimed astatine the league's "lack of transparency, dialog and coherence" successful staging the Miami game.

The AFE didn't accidental what the protestation would be, but connected Friday, successful the archetypal LaLiga crippled of the play -- Real Oviedo vs. Espanyol -- the 2 teams paused for the archetypal 15 seconds.

The AFE said Barça and Villarreal players would not beryllium forced to articulation successful the protest, fixed it could enactment them successful an uncomfortable presumption with their clubs, but confirmed that they were successful enactment of the action.

However, arsenic Girona kicked disconnected and past paused for 15 seconds astatine the Olympic Stadium, Barça's players did the same, remaining inactive until the distant squad started to play.

Villarreal big Real Betis aboriginal connected Saturday.

LaLiga person been trying to instrumentality a crippled to the United States since 2017, but present look to beryllium successful a presumption to yet propulsion it disconnected aft receiving support from the Spanish Football Federation [RFEF], who already signifier the Spanish Supercopa successful Saudi Arabia, and UEFA.

While Barça and Villarreal arsenic clubs person agreed to participate, different teams successful LaLiga are against the plans.

Real Madrid person been the fiercest critics, saying it volition "give an undue sporting advantage" to the teams progressive and "sets an unacceptable precedent."

Even Barça midfielder Frenkie de Jong has said helium does not enactment the plans, acknowledging Madrid's concerns that it favours Barça arsenic they get to play an distant crippled connected neutral territory.

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Barça manager Hansi Flick has besides said that helium is "not happy" astir it, but that helium would respect the determination made by the league and the clubs involved.

Following the on-pitch protests this weekend, it is unclear what steps the AFE could instrumentality next.

In theory, the national does not person to enactment the crippled for it to spell ahead, but AFE president David Aganzo has said helium has spoken with governmental parties astir consequent actions.