LaLiga chief: Barcelona-Villarreal set for Miami

LaLiga president Javier Tebas said connected Wednesday that the league intends to proceed with its program for the Barcelona league fixture against Villarreal to beryllium played connected Dec. 20 successful Miami aft UEFA cleared the mode for the lucifer to beryllium moved to the United States earlier this week.

Tebas made his comments when speaking to ESPN's Fernando Palomo astatine the World Soccer Summit connected Wednesday successful Miami.

The Spanish league indispensable present taxable an exertion to U.S. Soccer and Concacaf for last support connected playing the crippled successful the U.S. FIFA volition play nary relation successful the decision, a root told ESPN.

Villarreal were owed to big Spanish champions Barça astatine the Estadio de la Cerámica connected the play commencing Dec. 20, but LaLiga said the crippled volition present beryllium moved to the Hard Rock Stadium.

Wednesday's connection from Tebas comes aft UEFA said earlier this week it had reluctantly agreed for 2 European league games to beryllium played abroad, the different being the petition from Italian sides AC Milan and Como to play successful Perth, Australia, successful February.

If yet approved by each parties involved, Barça's lucifer against Villarreal volition go the archetypal fixture from 1 of Europe's large 5 leagues to beryllium played connected overseas soil, copying a exemplary which has been implemented by the NFL and the NBA successful caller years.

LaLiga person been trying to relocate a crippled to the U.S since 2017, but person encountered important absorption successful that time, notably from the Royal Spanish Football Federation [RFEF].

However, the RFEF announced successful January it had yet approved plans for a league fixture to beryllium moved to Miami.

Then, earlier this week, UEFA announced it had besides reluctantly agreed to the proposals from the Spanish and Italian leagues.

European football's governing assemblage said it was successful "clear absorption to home league matches being played extracurricular their location country," but that FIFA's regulatory model is not presently wide and elaborate capable for the requests to beryllium rejected.

Those regulations are presently being reviewed by a moving radical enactment unneurotic by FIFA, with UEFA pledging to update them to debar games being relocated successful the future.

"UEFA volition actively lend to the ongoing enactment led by FIFA to guarantee that aboriginal rules uphold the integrity of home competitions and the adjacent enslaved betwixt clubs, their supporters and section communities," a connection said.

A root told ESPN that FIFA volition play nary relation successful the determination relating to the Villarreal-Barcelona match, meaning the last connection comes down to U.S. Soccer and Concacaf arsenic the big relation and the big confederation.

Once they person the request, U.S. Soccer and Concacaf volition consult with cardinal stakeholders -- advisors, league officials and different salient individuals successful North American shot -- earlier making a call.

There is nary established timeline connected however agelong the determination from U.S. Soccer and Concacaf tin take.

There besides remains important absorption wrong Spain, from the Players' Association (AFE) and LaLiga clubs, with Real Madrid saying a lucifer extracurricular of Spain "distorts" the competition.

While nary of them tin halt the process of the crippled being taken to the U.S. immediately, they could escalate the contented to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

There's besides a imaginable fixture clash to beryllium resolved. Villarreal-Barcelona is scheduled for the play of Dec. 20-21.

On Sunday, Dec. 21, the Miami Dolphins are owed to play Cincinnati Bengals astatine Hard Rock Stadium successful the NFL. The crippled is curren...