A serious conflict has arisen in Spanish football, centered traditionally in Madrid. This was reported by Euro-football.ru.
A sharp confrontation has occurred between the "Real" club and La Liga. The conflict is based not only on the game between "Barcelona" and "Villarreal" in Miami but also concerns the format of holding the championship.
La Liga president Javier Tebas has been promoting the idea of holding matches abroad within the championship since 2018. At that time, a match between "Barcelona" and "Girona" was planned to be held at the Hard Rock Stadium in Florida, but FIFA and the Spanish Football Federation rejected this plan.
Tebas did not change his mind and aims to send the match between "Villarreal" and "Barcelona" of the 17th round of the 2025/26 season overseas. Both clubs have agreed and are ready for the trip.
This is a significant source of income for "Barcelona," with media outlets expecting revenue around 5-6 million euros. "Villarreal," in turn, will receive more funds since the game is officially considered their home match.
La Liga will cover fans' travel expenses and provide free access to subscribers. The owner of the "Yellow Submarine" team, Fernando Roig, warmly welcomed this proposal and even stated he is ready to fly out tomorrow.
The "Real" club in Madrid opposes this decision. They consider holding a game in the USA a turning point in football history and view it as a violation of the principle of territorial equality.
In a two-stage competition, each team’s home and away games should be equal. "Barcelona" will play on neutral ground instead of away, which could give them an advantage in the competition results.
"Real" emphasizes that such a step disrupts competitive balance, casts doubt on the legitimacy of results, and opens the door to decisions based on interests beyond sport. The Madrid club has appealed to the Spanish High Sports Council, FIFA, and UEFA, demanding to stop holding the match without the consent of all La Liga participants.
The Spanish Fans Association also supports "Real" and has promised legal action if the game takes place. Tebas, however, stresses the importance of club interests and that the game in the USA will increase the commercial appeal of the championship.
"Barcelona" president Joan Laporta openly states his readiness to cooperate. Yet, commerce and sport often conflict.
There are concerns that such an experiment in Spain could open "Pandora’s box": today a game in Miami, tomorrow in Dubai, and then an "El Clásico" in Shanghai targeting the Asian market. Tebas ignores such criticism, expecting a new audience and millions of dollars.
The conflict between "Real" and La Liga continues at the level of a long and cold war. Since 2018, "Real" president Perez has rejected Tebas’s ideas, while Tebas accuses Perez of conservatism.
Now the situation has escalated to a new level, and a serious conflict has emerged. The main issue is the struggle for control over the future of Spanish football.
"Real" considers this project a threat to sporting integrity, while Tebas sees it as the business of the future. Complaints are being sent to FIFA on one side, while others are already counting money and booking hotels in Miami.
Time will tell who will win. However, if the game takes place, La Liga will step into a new era, which may not please football fans.
Author Arman Tigranyants
