Barcelona players this weekend participated in an unprecedented league-wide protest, momentarily halting their match against Girona to oppose La Liga’s controversial decision to stage a domestic fixture in the United States.
The widespread protest, organized by the Spanish Footballers’ Association (AFE), was seen across the Spanish top-flight. It involved players standing still for the first 15 seconds of their respective games to protest what the AFE called the league’s “lack of transparency, dialogue and coherence” over the decision to export a competitive match.
The specific decision causing the severe discontent is the league’s plan to move Barcelona’s La Liga clash with Villarreal on December 20 to the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. The move has been widely criticized as a desperate “cash-grab” that disregards player welfare, integrity, and the fans who attend matches in Spain.
Despite the AFE initially stating that the clubs directly involved in the overseas fixture, Barcelona and Villarreal, were not technically required to participate, the Blaugrana squad decided to show solidarity with their counterparts across the league.
Following the dramatic 2-1 victory over Girona, which saw a late winner from Ronald Araújo, Barcelona goalscorer Pedri confirmed the rationale behind their participation to the press. He stated: “We were not part of the [protest] but we felt that we needed to follow along out of respect for our fellow professionals.”
The announcement of the US match, which has already received approval from the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and UEFA, means tickets are scheduled to go on sale soon. However, key figures within Spanish football are strongly opposing the plans.
AFE president David Aganzo has publicly condemned the arrangement, arguing it provides an unfair competitive advantage for the Catalan side over Villarreal, stating emphatically that, due to the larger fan presence, “It will be as if Barça are at home.”
Even Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has expressed his displeasure about the disruption, reportedly saying he is “not happy” with the drastic schedule change before Christmas. It remains unclear whether the mounting outcry and player backlash will ultimately be enough to force La Liga to reconsider the unprecedented move.