The La Liga match between Villarreal and FC Barcelona for December has yet to have a venue, as it has not been decided where it will be played. The game was originally planned to be a home game for Villarreal at the Estadio de la Ceramica.
La Liga surprised many with its proposed idea to have the match played abroad, more specifically in the United States. The host for the match would be Miami, at the Hard Rock Stadium.
The idea excites La Liga, Villarreal, and FC Barcelona, but it has been rejected by many fans, players, and other clubs like Real Madrid. The proposed match needs approval from FIFA, UEFA, and other governing bodies.
In an interview with Politico, UEFA president Alexander Čeferin was asked about the proposed match being played abroad and other European league matches being played abroad in the near future.
UEFA President Wants Games to be played in Europe
UEFA president Alexander Čeferin was honest about his thoughts on the idea of having European leagues being played abroad. Čeferin mentions that there is nothing to stop it if federations agree to go with it.
Alexander Čeferin: "We are not happy, but no matter how much we have checked legally, we don’t have much room to manoeuvre if the federation agrees and both federations also agree."
Čeferin believes the idea hurts home fans who have season tickets, as they will not want to travel to other countries to watch their team play important league matches.
Alexander Čeferin: "But I think, for the future, we will have to debate this very seriously, because football should be played in Europe, fans should watch it at home; they cannot travel to Australia or the United States to see their teams."
It is unknown when the final decision of the proposed match will be taken, but many believe the game should stick to being played in Spain at Villarreal's Estadio de la Ceramica.