La Liga president Javier Tebas has made his feelings clear on the decision to cancel a Spanish league game abroad.
A meeting between Villarreal and Barcelona was set to take place at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on December 20, but plans for the controversial event were officially pulled on Tuesday (October 22).
La Liga stated the decision was down to "uncertainty" in Spanish football, alluding to the complaints by players in recent weeks and the protests before the start of some league games last weekend.
The promotional company for the game in Miami, Relevant, cited "insufficient time to properly execute an event of this scale," as the reason for needing to call off the event.
The fixture involving the two teams will now take place as originally scheduled, at Villarreal's home ground, Estadio de la Cerámica.
Tebas not pleased with decision to cancel Miami event
Following Tuesday's big announcement, Tebas criticised the decision as he feels that La Liga needs to maximise opportunities for growth.
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"Today Spanish football has lost out on an opportunity to advance, project itself to the world and strengthen its future," he wrote on X.
The La Liga chief then seemingly addressed Real Madrid for being very vocal against the proposed event in Miami due to rivals Barcelona getting to play an away fixture on a neutral site.
"The ‘integrity of the competition’ is cited by those who have spent years questioning that very integrity, pressuring referees and administrators, constructing distorted narratives or using political and media pressure as sporting tools."
Tebas then stressed that the cancellation of the Miami event would not put an end to efforts to stage league games abroad.
"La Liga will keep working, seriously and with rigour and commitment to ensure that Spanish football continues to be competitive, against those that seek to destroy it, and always with respect to its roots and ensuring its sustainability."
"Spanish football deserves to look towards the future with ambition, not fear. We will keep trying. This time we were close."
Had the meeting between Villarreal and Barcelona gone ahead as planned at Hard Rock Stadium in December, it would have been the first league match between European teams to be staged on foreign soil.
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